‘Our diamond’: Guardiola backs Foden to shine in Manchester City’s title fight

Phil Foden has the full backing of Pep Guardiola to play an important role in the run-in despite starting only three of the past 10 Premier League games for Manchester City.

The England international was in the side for the 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest last weekend but was an unused substitute in Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 draw at RB Leipzig. Foden will hope to start at Bournemouth on Saturday evening, the fourth of five straight away matches for City in a hectic period for the title challengers.

Asked what Foden required to get back into the team, Guardiola said: “To be himself. I saw other players better than him at times after the World Cup. He struggled with his ankle after the World Cup a lot.”

Foden was not used for almost a month after starting in the Manchester derby defeat at Old Trafford in mid-January. “He played an incredible effort, playing with pain and arrived at the moment when he said: ‘Pep, I cannot [play] any more,’ so he had to rest and recover,” Guardiola said.

“We gave him a week or two weeks off, and after that Riyad [Mahrez] was in his best time of the season and Jack [Grealish] made a step forward. It’s not about intention, he’s a lovely guy. If you are saying I don’t trust with Phil, forget about it. Phil is our diamond.”

Foden featured at the World Cup for England, starting in the quarter-final defeat by France. The tournament has taken a mental toll on a number of players yet to find their best form since returning. “Always I say to him: ‘You are so young, next season is a new one,’” Guardiola said. “If you drop a little bit this season compared to the previous one, it’s an absolutely normal process.

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