Pep Guardiola has provided a detailed explanation regarding the absence of both Ederson and Phil Foden from Manchester City’s squad in their Premier League opener against Wolves on Saturday afternoon.
In the days leading up to the match, Guardiola had already clarified that Ederson remains the club’s first-choice goalkeeper, despite the return of James Trafford.
The young English keeper was re-signed by City through a buy-back clause after his impressive spell with Burnley, and he was surprisingly handed the starting spot at Molineux.
This raised plenty of eyebrows, especially as speculation has been growing about Ederson’s future, with strong reports linking him to a possible £10 million move to Turkish giants Galatasaray.
However, Guardiola was quick to dismiss any suggestion that transfer rumours influenced his decision. Instead, he revealed that Ederson was forced to miss the game due to illness.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of kick-off, the City manager explained that the Brazilian goalkeeper had been suffering from gastroenteritis. Guardiola shared that Ederson had been unwell the previous day, experiencing stomach problems and vomiting, and under medical advice from the club’s doctors, he remained in Manchester to recover.
Phil Foden’s absence also raised concern among City supporters. The English midfielder had been struggling with an ankle issue during the week and faced a race against time to be fit for the season opener.
He had already missed City’s pre-season clash against Palermo, which only added to doubts over his condition. Unlike Ederson, Foden did travel with the squad to Molineux, but Guardiola ultimately decided he was not ready to play. Instead, the 24-year-old watched the game from the stands as he continues his rehabilitation from injury.
City were also without their influential midfielder Rodri, who was similarly not involved due to fitness concerns. Guardiola was more optimistic about the Spaniard’s situation, however, stressing that Rodri is very close to making his return and should be back in action soon.
On a brighter note for City, the match marked a Premier League debut for Rayan Ait-Nouri, who recently joined the club.
Interestingly, the former Wolves defender became the fourth Manchester City player to make his league debut for the club against a team he had previously represented in the competition.
