Foden can play in the Champions League with a broken hand!

Foden can play in the Champions League with a broken hand! 

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden is expected to participate in Tuesday's Champions League match against the Norwegian team Bodo/Glimt, despite having a fractured hand. The City squad has departed for Northern Norway with the England international included in the lineup.

Foden was substituted at the conclusion of the first half during Manchester United's 2-0 loss at Old Trafford on Saturday. He sustained the injury following an unusual hand incident during a challenge.

Following the game, City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed that Foden has a minor fracture in his hand. Nevertheless, this does not pose a significant barrier to his participation in the upcoming match.

Guardiola stated in a pre-match press conference, "He has a slight fracture in his hand, but he is playing with protection. He is fit for tomorrow's match."

Meanwhile, Guardiola did not suggest that Erling Haaland would be rested despite his ongoing injury concerns. The Norwegian forward, who has not scored from open play in the last seven games, expressed his readiness to return to his home country.

The defeat in the Manchester derby was disappointing for City, as the gap to league leaders Arsenal has increased to seven points after failing to secure a victory in four consecutive Premier League matches.

However, Guardiola aims to put the league disappointment behind and concentrate on European competition.

He remarked, "We didn’t discuss the United match on the way here. We will address that before the Wolves match. Now, it’s a different competition. Our objective is to ensure we are among the top eight in the league stage."

City has opted for an alternative preparation strategy due to the extremely cold weather and artificial turf in Bodo. Typically, the team trains in Manchester prior to away matches in Europe. This time, Guardiola has conducted training at the Ascomira Stadium, the site of the match.

Speaking about the practice at the 8,500-seat stadium, the City coach said, "This is the first time since I came to Manchester that I have had a practice at the stadium the day before the match. The players need to see how the ball bounces, short passes, long passes - everything. Life is not always like a red carpet. The faster you can adapt to uncomfortable situations, the closer you will be to success."