Guardiola 'wants to help' Foden get back to his best

Phil Foden scored a career-best 19 Premier League goals in the 2023-24 season

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wants to help Phil Foden return to prime form after the midfielder spoke about struggling on and off the pitch.

Foden, 24, said off-field issues and an ankle injury suffered against Manchester United in April contributed to him being below his best and he wants to get his head "mentally right".

"It's true, Phil said that and of course he has not been [at his best]," said Guardiola.

"[He hasn't been at his best] not [just] for him, all of us, his family, for us - he's a baby boy from the academy and become a star with us.

"We want to help him, that's the most important thing. He needs rest and it's going to happen now after Sunday."

City end a disappointing season with a trip to face Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday (kick-off 16:00 BST), knowing a point should clinch Champions League football for next season.

On Friday, Foden was left out of England manager Thomas Tuchel's squad for games against Andorra and Senegal in early June.

Tuchel said Foden needs time to recover from his ankle injury and to "re-find the joy in his game".

Foden scored 19 Premier League goals to help City achieve an unprecedented fourth English top-flight title in a row last season.

He won the Professional Footballers' Association and Football Writers' Association player of the season awards, as well as being named in the PFA team of the year.

But he has managed only 10 goals across all competitions this term and has failed to score in his past 19 games for club and country - a run stretching back to January.

Foden said the season has been "difficult" and "frustrating", adding that if "everything was OK" he would "definitely" have been better on the field.

Guardiola added: "Step by step he is going to come back. I just want to help him, that is what we want.

"I don't care about his performance on the pitch, I want him to feel good and after the rest will come in an easy way."

Tuchel and Foden decided together on omission

Following Foden's omission from the England squad, Guardiola was asked if there was a conversation between club and country bosses.

"I don't know about England national team," Guardiola said. "It's true he has been struggling a long time with his ankle.

"What happened with the national team belongs to Thomas."

England boss Tuchel told BBC Radio 5 Live that he and Foden had decided it would be better for the player to take "a bit of time off" in order to "let him breathe" and "clear his head".

The German boss said: "That hurts a lot because I love Phil as a person in camp, he was fantastic.

"I love him as a player. The talent is outstanding, but at the moment this is the decision."

Tuchel added: "Maybe we have got so used to his highest level that we are now... worried, but I think there is no reason to be worried.

"I think it's maybe just a dip in his development. Lately he needs to re-find the joy in his game. It's not so easy, it is not falling easily into his feet. So yes, he is struggling, but he is still so young and still full of talent.

"I had a good phone call with him and everything is fine. We don't need to talk about his talent, we will do more or less everything to bring him back to form.

"Hopefully, the main part is still on him, and he will come back."

City have a short turnaround after the Fulham game, travelling to the expanded Club World Cup in the United States where they begin their group campaign against Moroccan side Wydad AC in Philadelphia on 18 June.

Guardiola said Foden would "in principle" travel to America for the tournament, but he confirmed full-back Kyle Walker, who is currently out on loan at AC Milan, will not be with the City squad.