Man City have two obvious Phil Foden replacements vs Liverpool FC after fresh injury blow

Manchester City will already have been concerned with the touch-and-go nature of Erling Haaland's groin injury and then they got the news of Phil Foden's appendix surgery on Sunday.

Foden trained with England on Saturday, but was having surgery to remove his appendix on Sunday, which will rule him out for at least the Premier League clash with Liverpool next week. Given that Foden has only just undergone surgery, he could be out for longer and nobody will want to rush his recovery.

With Liverpool waiting next, City will have to reshuffle their attack, but Pep Guardiola knows he has the consolation of two world-class players waiting in the wings to fill in for Foden.

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Assuming Jack Grealish will continue on the left-wing as he has for the last 12 games for City - not including the two FA Cup games where he has been rested - that leaves just the right-wing spot to decide.

The logical replacement is Riyad Mahrez, who has hardly done anything wrong, yet found himself on the bench in recent weeks to accommodate Foden's brilliant form. Despite that, Mahrez has one goal and two assists in his last five outings that have all been when Foden has been rested.

With a welcome goal for Algeria this week, Mahrez is an in-form option with a point to prove - and he's already scored against Liverpool this season.

Pep Guardiola, though, likes more than two wingers to rely on. If Foden is out for a longer period, then he will need more options than Grealish and Mahrez. One replacement would be Julian Alvarez, although the striker has played more centrally this season and may be needed to give Haaland more time to recover.

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