For Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden, this international break is more like a World Cup qualification trial than any other for England players.
Back in March, when Tuchel assembled his first squad, the new manager witnessed the City core playing darts with Morgan Rogers at Tottenham’s training ground. Foden’s precision and relaxed demeanor left a deep impression on the coach—he was a participant who thoroughly enjoyed himself.
However, when Foden moved from the dartboard to the pitch, his smile faded. This contrast alarmed the manager, who only recalled him again this time. Had the 25-year-old not rediscovered his form at club level—especially his brace against Borussia Dortmund last week that impressed Tuchel—he would never have returned to the national team based solely on past reputation.
That’s why every detail of Foden’s performances in London over the next few days and against Albania at the weekend will be scrutinized, especially given the fierce competition for his position. It’s clear: Tuchel sees him not as a winger, but as a central attacking midfielder or a false nine in Harry Kane’s absence.
To secure a starting spot for England, he must prove he is better than Rogers and Bellingham; to retain his international place, he needs to outperform Eberechi Eze, Gibbs-White, and even Palmer once he recovers from injury.
Just last year, the idea of Foden missing a World Cup was unimaginable—back then, the best players were always selected first, and tactics were built around them. But Tuchel is different. He constructs the best squad based on overall tactical needs, regardless of whether it includes stars like Foden, Bellingham, or Palmer. In his ten months in charge, his greatest achievement has been fostering this team culture of “awe and motivation.”
Activating Foden’s unfulfilled potential at international level would be no less significant. Since making his debut five years ago and accumulating 45 caps, Foden’s performances have declined: after scoring a brace on his Wembley debut against Iceland, he has only added two more goals in five years (against Wales and Scotland); in 14 major tournament finals matches, he has contributed just one goal and two assists.
Tuchel is aware of these meager stats, but he is more concerned about the disappearance of Foden’s bright smile. He has observed the player’s "childlike joy" in club games, which is absent only when he wears the national team jersey. This week, the German coach aims to get to the bottom of it: is it the team atmosphere, or a technical issue with his positioning and tactical instructions? Fixing Foden in the central area may clarify his responsibilities.
During last year’s European Championship, his coexistence with Bellingham was reminiscent of the old Gerrard and Lampard—two protagonists sharing the stage but performing their own roles. Tuchel will never repeat Southgate’s mistake. With Kane fit, the attacking midfielder spot in the strongest lineup will be a choice between Foden and Bellingham, or even neither, with the current incumbent Rogers retained.
At the press conference, when asked if Kane, Bellingham, and Foden would start together again as they did at last year’s European Championship, Tuchel made it clear that this would not happen.
Tuchel said: “At the moment, if we keep our current system, they can’t play together. They can play, but not in this system—it wouldn’t maintain the balance we’ve built. I’m not talking about a formation with wingers who are specialists in their positions. Right now, we use one number 6, one number 8, one number 10, and one number 9.”
“Especially for the number 10 position, there’s a lot of overlap. You see, Foden can play there, Bellingham can too, and Rogers has been doing very well for us in that role. There’s also Palmer, Gibbs-White. So there are many players, and it’s possible we won’t take all of them.”
If Foden is ultimately omitted, he still needs to prove himself a positive and optimistic team member during the training camp. Tuchel has no personal likes or dislikes towards Foden—though some of Bellingham’s traits once troubled him. But regardless of personality, the manager wants warriors who show lionhearted spirit both on and off the pitch.
At the pre-Serbia press conference, when asked about the "experiments" during the September and October training camps, Tuchel immediately refuted the claim sharply, emphasizing that this is no longer a time for experiments. But for Foden, this is indeed a dual experiment involving interpersonal interaction and on-field positioning. The shared goal of the manager and the player is to find the secret to hitting the target—only this time, the target area is on the green field, not in the game room.
