How will these three Manchester City players perform on the International stage?
By Phil Taylor
England manager Gareth Southgate has picked three Manchester City players as he prepares for games against Ukraine and Scotland. The first game is a competitive qualifier against Ukraine and the second is a 150th Anniversary Heritage Match between the two home nations.
Within the squad are three treble winners and three players keen to continue their form by impressing manager Gareth Southgate. It will be interesting to see how this international break will play out for them as all three have different aspirations both for club and country.
Kyle Walker
Rumoured to be moving to Bayern Munich all summer but a deal could not be agreed so he stayed put with Manchester City. He has played every minute of the first four games of the season for Pep Guardiola’s men and looks to continue playing for Southgate.
He is certainly one of the trusted players under Southgate and a player who is capable of playing right back, right wing back, right centre back and even on the left hand side depending on the formation Southgate has employed.
He is not a jack of all trades, he is a master in defence and certainly has plenty to offer against Ukraine and Scotland.
Phil Foden
The rising talent of Phil Foden continues to get ever better and he is more than likely about to get a lot more game time this season. At 23 years old, it seems Foden has been around for such a long time but relatively speaking he is quite new to the game despite being a treble winner.
Foden has started three league games and helped City grab a win late on against Sheffield United by assisting Rodri. He has started the season in fine form and Southgate will be impressed by the Stockport born sensation.
However, competition is fierce up front for England with Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka looking to nail down the wide positions. Foden will be looking to break this or be hoping that Southgate will play him just behind the striker who is likely to be Harry Kane.
Kalvin Phillips
The mystery of Kalvin Phillips’ Manchester City move continues. Phillips was one of the hottest central midfield commodities in the game prior to his move to Manchester City and now many are wondering if he is at the stage of trying to resurrect his career at just 27 years old as his woes continue under Guardiola who has managed just 6 minutes of league football so far.
However, Southgate is a huge fan of the former Leeds man and has included him in the squad once again despite lacking minutes for his club. Phillips played 31 minutes last time out for England against North Macedonia putting in a great display by finding the net at Old Trafford.
It could be a huge couple of fixtures for him if Southgate plays him in both and it could be the catalyst he needs for Guardiola to play him more for Manchester City.