- England played Uruguay in a friendly match at Wembley
- Phil Foden was selected to start the match
- He managed to avoid getting injured after a dreadful challenge
Phil Foden could have suffered a very bad injury after becoming the victim of a heavy tackle during England’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay.
England were in action on Friday night and a number of fringe players were given an opportunity to impress.
This meant Phil Foden was able to make his first start since Manchester City’s 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest at the start of the month.
The 25-year-old failed to make any significant attacking contributions during his 56 minutes on the pitch, but he did win all six of his ground duels.
Phil Foden almost suffered a bad injury
Early in the second half, Foden was taken out by Ronald Araujo, in a challenge which the ITV commentary team claimed should warrant a red card.
The Uruguayan defender won the ball, but he made no effort to hold back his follow through, which left Foden in a lot of discomfort.
"He could of broke his leg"
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) March 27, 2026
"It's a clear red card" 🟥
The ITV crew discuss some questionable refereeing decisions, including Ronald Araujo's tackle on Phil Foden, that wasn't deemed a sending off@England pic.twitter.com/4qXrwisIpF
Speaking in his post-match interview, Thomas Tuchel said: “He [Foden] is so lucky,” reacting to the fact Foden escaped without an injury.
The England manager then asked: “How was that not checked by VAR?”
He [Foden] is so lucky 😬
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) March 27, 2026
"How was that not checked by VAR?"
England manager Thomas Tuchel cut a frustrated figure about some of the refereeing decisions after his team's 1-1 draw with Uruguay 🏴 pic.twitter.com/lVGO0NrfCd
Foden will be disappointed with his performance
Obviously Foden will be frustrated that Araujo was not punished for his wild challenge, but he will also be bothered by his own display on Friday night.
This was a big chance for the Man City attacker to stand out and prove his worth to the Three Lions, but there is little to be said of his performance.
With Foden starting fewer matches for his club and failing to do anything noteworthy against Uruguay, his World Cup hopes are not looking promising.
There is still a chance of him making the squad, but being on the plane is not the same as being selected to start matches.
