England attacker Phil Foden returns to training with the Three Lions ahead of their Euro 2024 last-16 tie with Slovakia after the birth of his third child.
England and Manchester City winger Phil Foden has been filmed back at the Three Lions’ Euro 2024 camp following the birth of his third child.
The 24-year-old – who has started every game for his nation at the tournament so far – left the squad earlier this week with what the FA described as a “pressing family matter”.
It subsequently emerged that Foden was to become a father for the third time with his girlfriend Rebecca Cooke, and his return to British shores sparked some uncertainty about his availability for Sunday’s last-16 tie with Slovakia.
However, reports earlier this week claimed that Foden was to return to the camp ahead of England’s opening knockout tie, and on Friday afternoon, he was back in Gareth Southgate‘s training group.
A video shared by the official England X account showed Foden walking out for practice alongside West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen, before a voice behind the camera congratulates the Manchester City man.
Foden replied “Thank you, thank you very much” while shaking the camera man’s hand before heading off to join his teammates, pointing towards his involvement in the upcoming clash with Slovakia.
Congratulations and welcome back, @PhilFoden! 👶❤️ pic.twitter.com/VMb8owGlOf
— England (@England) June 28, 2024
What selection dilemmas is Southgate facing?
While Foden was re-integrated into the group on Friday, there has been no update on Declan Rice and Kieran Trippier, both of whom were absent from team training on Thursday to undertake individual programmes.
Trippier is known to have been dealing with a calf problem and may therefore be more of an uncertainty than Rice for the weekend, but thankfully for Southgate, Luke Shaw is finally back in full training.
It has been four months since the left-back’s last appearance for Manchester United due to a muscular problem, and he is yet to play a minute at the Euros either, so Southgate may very well hold him back and build up his minutes off the bench.
Such a move would leave Ezri Konsa and Joe Gomez as the only real alternatives to Trippier as a makeshift left-back, while Foden’s own position is under threat due to his struggles out on the left.
Southgate’s options in the final third include either swapping Foden straight out for Eberechi Eze or Anthony Gordon, or shifting him centrally and thereby impacting Jude Bellingham‘s position.
The Real Madrid man – who has appeared leggy in his last two games – could be dropped entirely or moved to a deeper midfield position alongside Rice, where Conor Gallagher, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Adam Wharton and Kobbie Mainoo are also vying for starts.
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