Man City boss Pep Guardiola on Kyle Walker’s future, McAtee and Lewis’ summer plans, and Foden’s comments | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has revealed that Kyle Walker will not re-join the Manchester City squad for the Club World Cup in the USA this summer.

The long-standing servant and club captain left the club on a short-term loan deal in January to join AC Milan.

But with Walker looking set to return to the club this summer, the City boss replied “nope” when asked if the England right-back would be travelling to the competition with his parent side, hinting at a likely departure for the Englishman.

Phil Foden, however, will be involved in the tournament.

Foden has lost the sort of form that saw him win last year’s Premier League player of the year, and has also missed out on Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad.

The City academy graduate has endured a difficult year and recently opened up on his injury and off the pitch struggles this season, even suggesting he would benefit from a break this summer.

On Foden’s England omission, Guardiola said: “I don’t know about the national team but it’s true for a long time he’s been struggling with his ankle, what happens in the national team belongs to Thomas [Tuchel].

“We want to help him, that’s the most important thing. If he needs rest, it’s going to happen now after Sunday. Step by step, he’s going to come back, it’s what we want. I just want to help him. I don’t care about his performance on the pitch, I want to feel good. After, the rest will come in easy way.”

Two players who may miss out on the Club World Cup are James McAtee and Rico Lewis. Foden’s fellow academy graduates are wanted for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship this summer but Guardiola is keen to protect City’s interests.

He said: “The situation is here, they have to talk. I don’t know who is going to pay salary in this month – national team or club when they decide to go to U21s. The players will decide with the club, they have to talk with the sports director and see what they want to do.

“I know that the under-21s asked the club for both players to go. But I don’t know the resolution.”

The long-awaited return to fitness of Rodri from his ACL injury is one boost to Guardiola’s side but the Spanish manager was quick to plead patience with expectations regarding his midfield talisman.

Guardiola said: “He’s not going to start, he’s not ready to start.

“It’s still a long way to be what Rodri was. It’ll be next season when he’ll start to be the Rodri in the way we’ve seen before the injury.

“It was 70 games, he played every three days, it will take even longer for that. The experience with surgeries and so on is to be careful, otherwise you have muscular problems and this kind of stuff. But this is the first step for his mind and for his knee.”

Before the Club World Cup though, Guardiola’s side have to navigate a tricky fixture against Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday. Their Champions League qualification rests on them securing at least a draw.

About Fulham, Guardiola said: “It’s a really tough game away. It always has been. The games we’ve played recently have been so tight. They have incredible momentum, always tight games.”

“The situation is clear, if you want to play in champions league, you have to take a result there. That’s what we’re goign to do. We’ll see today, tomorrow’s training. See how the players are focused and then go to London to take the result we need.”

One player Guardiola is relying on to help secure qualification is Erling Haaland, he said: “Every game he’s going to play he’s getting better,. Sunday, he’s going to help us qualify for the Champions League next season.”