Phil Foden misses Crystal Palace clash as Man City injury woes deepen

Manchester City forward Phil Foden has been ruled out of their Premier League match against Crystal Palace due to injury.

The 24-year-old was unable to recover from a knock sustained in the Manchester derby and was not included in the matchday squad at the Etihad on Saturday.

Although there were initial hopes that Phil Foden would be fit to play, he ultimately could not recover in time after being substituted early in the derby.

It marks another setback in what has been a frustrating season for the England international, who has struggled to find his best form after being named the Premier League’s best player last season.

Foden’s absence is part of a larger injury crisis at Manchester City, with Rodri, Manuel Akanji, John Stones, Nathan Aké, and Erling Haaland also missing the game against Crystal Palace.

Foden was not included in the matchday squad at the Etihad on Saturday

The ongoing injury issues have disrupted Pep Guardiola’s plans, denting his ambitions for the season.

In the absence of several key players, James McAtee will make his first Premier League start for the club, one of three changes from the goalless draw against United in the previous fixture.

Nico González and Rico Lewis also come into the starting lineup.

McAtee, who has scored six goals in all competitions this season, will be eager to mark his first league start with a goal, potentially moving him into third place on the team’s goalscoring charts.

González, meanwhile, returns to the starting XI after being a substitute for recent matches against Bournemouth and Manchester United.

Man City XI: Ederson, Lewis, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Nico, Kovacic, Gundogan, De Bruyne (C), McAtee, Marmoush

Subs: Ortega, Grealish, Doku, Bernardo, Reis, Savinho, Nunes, Khusanov, Bobb

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson, Munoz, Richards, Lacroix, Lerma, Mitchell, Wharton, Kamada, Sarr, Eze, Mateta

Subs: Matthews, Ward, Franca, Clyne, Hughes, Chilwell, Umeh, Devenny, Kporha