Foden: I ve been suffering from ankle pain in the past few months and hope to be allowed not to compete in the national team

May 22 According to the Times, Foden talked about his current status in an interview.

After a challenging season, Foden decided to request not to participate in the next England national team match in order to give the injured ankle a rest and recover from off-court issues. Foden is frankly saying that he had been plagued by Casemiro's ankle six weeks ago in the game against Manchester United, which prevented him from reaching the level of his performance when he won the PFA Player of the Year last season.

This injury not only affected his form, but also made him feel depressed due to some undisclosed off-field problems. He said he and some teammates are now feeling "mentally exhausted", especially during the upcoming Summer Club World Cup (June 14-July 13). Therefore, Foden plans to make a request to England coach Tuchel, hoping to avoid participating in the matches against Andorra and Senegal on June 7 and 10.

In response, Foden said: "I just needed a few weeks to get away from football, but now it's obviously not possible. Obviously, the national team game is coming, and it's a difficult situation for me. We need to communicate with the club and the national team to see if it's better to take a break and get my ankle back to the shape I want."

Foden admitted that continuing to play after an injury in that 0-0 draw and returning to training too early after three weeks of recovery made his injury worse. The 24-year-old was very frustrated by his performance being criticized and revealed for the first time that his ankle was still sore.

Speaking of his ankle injury, Foden said: "It's frustrating because a lot of people don't know what football players have to endure, and I've been enduring ankle pain for the past few months. After being tackled by Casemiro, I managed to continue playing with a ligament injury, which is my character, and I'll do everything I can to keep playing. The coach saw that I didn't run normally and replaced me. I remember how painful it felt when the adrenaline faded. I missed the next game or two and might be back on the training ground too early. You need time to recover, but I just like to go back to the court as soon as possible and get better and stronger every day."

Fuden scored 27 goals last season and contributed 13 assists, but only 10 goals and 6 assists this season, and many teammates failed to perform at their best.

In response, Foden said: "It's a frustrating season for me, and I have a lot to deal with off-court. Sometimes there are things in life that are more important than football, and I'm a little struggling this season. If everything is good, I'll definitely be better on the court. Hopefully next year I can adjust my mindset and go back to my previous level because I know what I can do, I know what I can do. The club is very supportive, I'm very grateful to them, I know my standards and the heights I can reach. I look forward to returning."

Participating in the Club World Cup obviously didn't excite Foden and his teammates. The team will fly to Florida base on June 12 and if they reach the final, they may play up to seven games in four to five weeks, with the final being held at the Metropolitan Stadium in New Jersey. The players’ families will be allowed to go with the team, and the club hopes this will relieve the pressure on them to play in the summer, but it won’t be as easy as the holidays they are used to.

While talking about the Club World Cup, Foden said: "Obviously the guys are exhausted this season and I believe everyone needs the right time to recover and prepare for the next season. Of course, there will be this game next. It will be an interesting thing; some clubs will take it more seriously, but I know that City and our clubs will definitely take it seriously. It will be a new experience, I don't know much about it, and honestly, I keep it behind my head until the end of the season. It will be a chance to start over for me. I look forward to seeing what it looks like, and playing against top teams will always help."