Phil Foden: Why is Manchester City forward not playing?

Manchester United‘s record goalscorer Wayne Rooney thinks a tactical shift from Guardiola is the reason for Foden’s lack of minutes.

Rooney says City are not playing so much “side-to-side, through lines and keeping the ball for long periods”.

“They’ve gone a bit more dynamic with Semenyo and Cherki. They’re a bit more dynamic than Foden,” explained Rooney.

“It looks at times a little bit more physical, a bit more direct when they get the ball, running at defenders. Maybe that doesn’t suit Phil as much as some of the other players.”

City signed Semenyo from Bournemouth in January for £64m and the winger has played every Premier League minute but three since his arrival.

Semenyo, summer signing Cherki and even Nico O’Reilly, who is mixing playing in midfield as well as at left-back, have scored 17 City goals between them since Foden’s last strike.

In his last start Foden was also criticised for failing to track Elliot Anderson in the build-up to Nottingham Forest‘s equaliser in their 2-2 draw at Etihad Stadium last week, which has taken the destination of the title out of City’s hands.

He was substituted 65 seconds later.

“We don’t always know everything. He could be carrying a knock or a particular injury that they have to protect and he can’t get to the level in training,” ex-City midfielder Michael Brown told The Wayne Rooney Show.

“Why does he go from playing every game to hardly having any minutes? How does it get to that? There’s something there.”