PHIL YOUR BOOTS! DE BRUYNE INJURY OFFERS GOLDEN CHANCE FOR FODEN
KEVIN DE BRUYNE’S injury is rotten news for Manchester City and for all lovers of beautiful football. City’s numbers are up when De Bruyne is around — 4.8 per cent more wins, and 0.4 per cent more goals per game — but so is aesthetic pleasure. Some of the loveliest football played by any club last season was the result of De Bruyne’s gifts and imagination. So nobody wants to see a good man down but there is one positive. With De Bruyne unavailable for as much as three months of the season, there may be more opportunity at City for a young Englishman, Phil Foden. This is good for the player and maybe good for Gareth Southgate, too. While Foden would not want promotion this way, now it is here, he must take full advantage.