Enzo Maresca explains why Phil Foden was omitted from Man City captaincy group

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed the club's official leadership group for the new campaign, with the notable absence of home-grown star Phil Foden. Despite his long-standing connection to the club, the midfielder was not included in the primary quartet selected for armband duties.

Maresca identified Ruben Dias, Erling Haaland, Marc Guehi, and Gianluigi Donnarumma as the four players tasked with leading the squad. The manager clarified that his selection was primarily based on prior experience in captaincy roles.

Phil is one of the guys from the house. He’s not in that group, but for me he’s also one of the captains, one of the players that belong to that group. Enzo Maresca

The Italian coach explained that Guehi held the captaincy at Crystal Palace, while Donnarumma leads the Italy national team. He emphasized that these players were chosen for their proven ability to manage dressing room dynamics, though he admitted that excluding Foden was a difficult decision.

Beyond the captaincy, Maresca addressed Foden's versatility. Due to an injury to Jeremy Doku, Foden has been deployed on the right wing, despite the manager insisting that the player's best position remains in the middle. Maresca praised Foden's professional attitude and willingness to adapt, highlighting the player's high footballing IQ and technical quality during this transition period.