Phil Foden is about to be disappointed after Man City masterclass at number ten

Phil Foden stood on the Goodison Park pitch in front of the Manchester City fans, and sent a clear message to his manager when he said he wants to keep playing in the number ten position.

"You know how much I like playing in the middle," Foden said with a smile. "Thanks to the manager, he keeps playing me there at the moment. Long may it continue because I enjoy it every time I play there."

However, Pep Guardiola was about to disappoint his young forward, with a revelation that Kevin De Bruyne could return this weekend for City after a long lay-off.

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De Bruyne is back in training and, if fit, could feature against Sheffield United on Saturday. Presumably, he would walk back into his usual position of number ten, behind the striker, and take the position Foden is currently excelling in. There's an argument to play De Bruyne further back, next to Rodri, but that wouldn't necessarily get the best out of him, especially when Erling Haaland returns.

And when Haaland returns, Julian Alvarez is another option to play behind the striker. That will help City reduce the reliance on De Bruyne, but Foden will go from first choice in his favoured position to, arguably, third choice.

Guardiola was asked about his number ten options before and after the match, offering an interesting insight into what he wants from that position. Before the Everton win, he said: "He's [De Bruyne] so important for us, like Erling. There's two types of players, who maybe don't help you to play good, the level can be consistent, but these two guys help you