April 6th 2024.
Phil Foden, the talented midfielder for Manchester City, will be starting on the bench for their upcoming match against Crystal Palace. This decision has been made by City's manager, Pep Guardiola, who believes it is necessary to carefully manage Foden's playing time. Despite his impressive performance this season and scoring a hat-trick in their last game against Aston Villa, Guardiola has decided to rest the 23-year-old for this match.
In Foden's place, Erling Haaland will be returning to the starting lineup after being rested in the previous game. When asked about his decision to bench Foden, Guardiola admitted that it was a difficult choice, but one that he believes is necessary to avoid over-playing the young English international. This is especially important as City prepares for their upcoming Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid on Tuesday evening.
Guardiola explained to TNT Sports that managing players' playing time can be tough for a manager, and this decision was no exception. He also mentioned that Foden has been playing a lot of games recently, including a 96-minute game against Arsenal, and then having to play friendly matches with the national team. This has taken a toll on Foden's physical condition, making it crucial to rest him in order to avoid potential injuries.
The manager also addressed the possibility of playing Foden and Kevin De Bruyne together on the pitch. He stated that he has indeed considered it, especially for this game against Crystal Palace. However, with the team traveling to Madrid the next day and Real Madrid having had a longer rest period, Guardiola believes it is important to have fresh players on the pitch. He also expressed his desire to see Foden play, but ultimately, with the number of games and players, he has made the decision to rest him for this match.
In terms of the starting lineups, Crystal Palace will have Henderson, Ward, Mitchell, Lerma, Ayew, Eze, Munoz, Mateta, Anderson, Hughes, and Wharton. Meanwhile, Manchester City's lineup will consist of Ortega, Lewis, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Bobb, Alvarez, Grealish, and Haaland. On the bench, Crystal Palace will have Matthews, Tomkins, Olise, Schlupp, Clyne, Edouard, Ahamada, Ozoh, and Umeh-Chibueze. City's bench will consist of Ederson, Kovacic, Doku, Bernardo, Gomez, Akanji, Nunes, Foden, and Susoho.
Guardiola also mentioned that the team will be returning to Manchester early after the game against Crystal Palace, but they will have to travel to Madrid the next day. Considering this, he believes it is crucial to have fresh players on the pitch for this match, which is why he has made the decision to rest Foden. He concluded by saying that while he would love to see Foden play, he has to make tough decisions for the good of the team.
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