Phil Foden has left the England camp in Germany to return to the UK to attend to a ‘pressing family matter’ – believed to be the birth of his third child.
The 24-year-old Man City star has started all three group games in Germany and was one of England’s brightest players in the below-par stalemate against Slovenia in Cologne on Tuesday night before being replaced by Anthony Gordon after 89 minutes.
An FA statement to the UK press said: “Phil Foden has temporarily left the England camp and returned to the UK for a pressing family matter.”
In April, Foden and his partner Rebecca Cooke announced on social media they were expecting their third child.
Foden was named the Premier League player of the season in 2023/24 after helping Man City to another title, and has won 37 England caps.
England are waiting to discover later tonight which third-placed group finisher they will face in the Round of 16 in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday (5pm BST), though Foden is not expected to miss that encounter.
Gareth Southgate’s side secured top spot in Group C ahead of Denmark and Slovenia despite scoring just twice in the group stage, though their first placed finish did ensure they go into the knockout stages in the opposite half of the draw to Germany, Spain, Portugal and France, meaning they could avoid those big-guns until the final, should they get there.
3 – Phil Foden has passed the ball more times to Jordan Pickford (3) than to Harry Kane (1) at EURO 2024. Ineffective. pic.twitter.com/EmOeGIXTmD
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 26, 2024
