How Pep Guardiola fits Rodri and Phil Foden back into his squad will be a fascinating watch

How Pep Guardiola fits Rodri and Phil Foden back into his best eleven will be fascinating to see unfold in the coming weeks. The champions have made an impressive start to the 24/25 season. What makes it even more impressive is the fact that Phil Foden and Rodri have yet to fire a shot this season. That speaks volumes about how well City are performing so far this season.

But at some point shortly, Phil Foden and Rodri are going to return to full fitness. Phil Foden has suffered from an illness in recent weeks. Rodri has spent the beginning of this season recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered at the European Championships. But when they are fully fit there is no doubt that the duo are in Manchester City’s best eleven. There can be no doubt of that fact. So when the pair are fully fit how Pep Guardiola fits them both into his starting lineup will be fascinating to watch unfold.

While the pair have been out it has allowed other players the opportunity to shine. Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Rico Lewis, when he steps into midfield, have formed a formidable midfield for Manchester City. The quartet have been a key reason behind City’s strong start to the new season. There is a chemistry to their play, and it has been spellbinding to watch. But Rodri and Foden are proven quality performers. How Pep Guardiola integrates the pair back into his best lineup will be interesting to watch unfold after the international break.

READ MORE: There is a risk attached to the international break for Manchester City.

What will make Pep Guardiola’s decision easier is the fact that City’s fixture list ramps up after the international break. Manchester City will need a full squad to tackle the challenges that lie ahead. If Foden and Rodri return from international duty fully fit it is expected that Guardiola will begin rotating his squad for the plethora of games ahead.

But at some point, Pep Guardiola will need to nail down his best eleven, and there is no doubt that Rodri and Phil Foden will be in it. There will be some hard luck stories with players who miss out on selection but that is part and parcel of the game. But how Foden and Rodri are integrated back into City’s best eleven is an interesting topic to ponder.

Esteemed Kompany host Steven Mcinerney also gives his thoughts on the return of Phil Foden and Rodri in the video below.