Phil Foden substituted with injury after horror tackle in England draw with Uruguay | OneFootball

Manchester City forward Phil Foden was taken off with injury in the second-half of England’s 1-1 friendly draw with Uruguay on Friday night.

The Three Lions suffered a frustrating draw after Federico Valverde scored an injury-time penalty to cancel Ben White‘s opener after 81 minutes, though the headlines were dominated by a shocking challenge from Ronald Araujo.

Araujo won the ball but followed through heavily on Foden’s ankle with a potential leg-breaking tackle and one that has drawn strong criticism on social media – particularly given the game being a friendly.

England manager Thomas Tuchel was furious on the touchline in the aftermath of the tackle, with Foden receiving treatment and going off shortly after and Araujo luckily evading a red card for a horrific tackle above the Manchester City forward’s ankle.

Foden injury and implications on Man City run-in

The full extent of Foden’s injury is yet to be known and Manchester City are likely to call their academy graduate back to the club’s facilities to undergo a thorough assessment and further medical treatment.

Foden is unlikely to be fit for England‘s game against Japan next week and Tuchel will not want to risk one of his best players, who has struggled for minutes and form at club level so far in 2026, in a mere friendly.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will want Foden to withdraw from international duty as soon as possible should the impact of Araujo’s tackle be anywhere near what it seemed like at Wembley on Friday night.

City return to action in 10 days’ time against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final and there are major doubts over Foden’s availability for the cup tie, which precedes monumental Premier League meetings with Chelsea and Arsenal.

World Cup chances – A missed opportunity?

In his post-match press conference, Tuchel was full of praise of Foden’s attitude in the England camp in the days leading to the 1-1 draw with Uruguay, waxing lyrical in particular of the Manchester City’s star performances in defensive training in a new-look England setup.

Foden has been devoid of starts at club level in recent months and questions have emerged over his long-term future at Manchester City, where his current deal is set to expire in 15 months. His recent lack of minutes at club level was telling when Tuchel pointed out that he felt the 25-year-old could have been “more adventurous” in the final third against Uruguay.

However, Tuchel remains a big fan of Foden, who has it all to do at club and international level to return from this fitness setback stronger than ever to push for a spot in England’s squad for this summer’s FIFA World Cup.

Guardiola has preferred the likes of Antoine Semenyo, Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush in attack alongside Erling Haaland in this calendar year but Foden has the experience and know-how to climb the pecking order and force his way back into the Manchester City starting XI.