As Thomas Tuchel took up his seat at Old Trafford for the Manchester derby, assessing the form of Phil Foden will have been one of his main objectives.
The England manager is due to name his squad for the opening Nations League matches on Friday and he had the opportunity to run the rule over several players.
After his World Cup omission, Foden will have had more to prove than most and he will have been buoyed by Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca’s faith in him despite a mixed start to the season.
Maresca had said on Friday this fixture meant more to the local boy, but there was to be no repeat of the stunning derby hat-trick of October 2022 as he was sent off after 23 minutes for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes.
Tuchel spoke highly of Foden last season but ultimately admitted he was unsure of his best position and this brief run-out on the right of City’s attack will have done little for his cause.
United’s Kobbie Mainoo did go to the World Cup but did not play a single minute. He did his chances of further inclusion no harm with a thumping shot against the woodwork, while team-mate Marcus Rashford also hit the post.
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