- Phil Foden started for England against Uruguay
- He suffered a heavy challenge committed by Ronald Araujo
- This raised concerns about whether Foden might be injured
Ronald Araujo has attempted to give his side of the story after his brutal tackle which left Phil Foden in some discomfort during England’s recent 1-1 draw with Uruguay.
Manchester City have not made much use of Phil Foden this season, but the club will still be keen to avoid any further injuries as the Premier League title race continues.
Therefore, they would have been concerned when Foden was wiped out by Ronald Araujo during a fiery friendly match between the Three Lions and Uruguay.
The midfielder left the pitch a short while after this incident, leading to speculation over whether he had picked up an injury.
Ronald Araujo indicates that Phil Foden is not injured
According to the player who committed the rash challenge, Foden revealed he was ‘fine’ after the game, meaning he has not picked up an injury.
Araujo has also claimed that Foden played down the tackle and acknowledged that the defender was attempting to win the ball.
He told El Espectador Deportes: “It was a hard challenge, but obviously I went for the ball without any ill intention. After the match I spoke to Phil Foden.
“I sent him a message. He told me he was fine, that it’s just part of the game. People make a big deal out of things, but it’s clear I was going for the ball. Everyone who knows me knows I don’t have bad intentions.
“If you freeze play, it looks like a very hard challenge, but my intention was to go for the ball. Plus, the referee, VAR was there, so I think he judged I was going for the ball,” Araujo continued.
“But the important thing is I spoke with him [Foden], he’s okay, and he told me it was no big deal, that it’s soccer.”
Foden will be fit for Man City’s FA Cup quarter-final
It is unlikely Foden will feature for England against Japan, considering Thomas Tuchel will want to test his whole squad.
Therefore, the 25-year-old should be available at the weekend for Manchester City’s FA Cup clash against Liverpool.
Victory in that match would see the Citizens set up a semi-final fixture at Wembley, moving one step closer to a second piece of silverware this season.
However, Foden has not started many matches recently and it could be that he has to settle for a place on the bench when the Reds visit the Etihad Stadium.
