Gareth Southgate Hints At Phil Foden World Cup Start For England Vs. Wales

England have put themselves in a strong position heading into their final 2022 World Cup group game against neighbours Wales, but as is often the case at international tournaments, the manager, Gareth Southgate, still has questions to answer.

The most common one asked has been around the inclusion, or not, of Manchester City attacking midfielder Phil Foden.

The 22-year-old is one of the most naturally gifted players on the England roster, but did not start in either of his nation’s games so far this tournament. Against the United States he didn’t even make it off the bench.

Just 19 minutes of football across two games for a player widely considered one of the best on the roster has understandably raised questions.

England opened their campaign with a morale-boosting 6-2 win against Iran. It was one of the most convincing performances of the tournament so far and there were understandably few complaints after it.

Foden got his 19-minute cameo in that game, and it gave a taste of what England fans thought was to come at the tournament.

Against the United States, though, England struggled against their much-improved opponents who had impressed early on in their opener against Wales but less so in the second half.

The U.S. may have been disappointed not to have beaten England in that second group game, and for Southgate’s side it was another World Cup game in which they have failed to defeat this particular opponent. In the three meetings between the two at World Cups, the U.S. have one win (famously, in 1950) and there have been two draws.

It is after such a display from England, a favorite to win the tournament, that questions are raised more pointedly and criticisms offered.

It is very likely that Foden will now start against Wales. His lack of game time so far is not because Southgate doesn’t rate him, but rather he thinks that other players better fit his system.

Foden’s best position is often considered to be No. 10—a role that doesn’t exist in Southgate’s 4-3-3—but he also plays on the wing for his club side, City.

The 0-0 draw against the United States means the potency of the system can now be questioned, too, so it might now make sense to change things up and introduce Foden against Wales.

“We love Phil, he is a super player,” Southgate said in an interview with a UK broadcaster, ITV.

“He was brought into the first game, but we decided not to put him into the second.

“He is going to play an important part in this tournament for us, there is no question about that.

“We haven’t got any issues with Phil. In September he started both games for us and we put him into the game against Iran.

“We decided to stick with that team and we felt the changes [from the bench] required something a little different for the USA.”

In order to progress to the knockout stage, England only need to avoid a four goal defeat against Wales.

Adding Foden to the mix now, in a game in which they will be looking for a good performance but one they don’t need to win, may be the best option for Southgate as he prepares his team to be at their strongest for the knockout stages.

For this reason, it will not be a surprise to see Foden start against Wales, and in doing so the England manager will be solving a problem of his own rather than necessarily answering the calls from fans and media.