Why Phil Foden's Man City season is already at risk after his Old Trafford red card

Phil Foden's red card in the Manchester derby could sideline him for up to a month. The kick aimed at Bruno Fernandes carries a three-game suspension and, with the international break looming, the forced absence will stretch across several weeks. It is the worst possible setback for an attacker who has gone 35 matches without a goal and now faces an even tougher fight to win back a regular place in Enzo Maresca's starting XI.

• The red card came early in the derby, leaving City with ten men for most of the match.
• Foden misses the Carabao Cup tie against Norwich and Premier League games against Sunderland and Liverpool.
• If he sits out all four England fixtures, he will not play again for a month.
• The midfielder is on a run of 35 consecutive City appearances without scoring.
• Rayan Cherki and other rivals are using his absence to strengthen their claims in his position.

Foden's Old Trafford red card deepens an already difficult start

The sight of Foden trudging from one end of Old Trafford to the tunnel summed up a miserable afternoon for him. The England international reacted to a provocation from Bruno Fernandes by kicking out and catching the United captain in the midriff. Michael Oliver reached straight for the red card, handing Foden the first violent conduct dismissal of his career.

Enzo Maresca accepted the referee's decision was right, even as he argued that Fernandes' earlier kick might have warranted a red card of its own. The incident left City down to ten men from early on, yet instead of sinking them, the disadvantage seemed to spur them towards a hard-fought win against their biggest rivals.

Exactly how long Foden will miss through suspension

The punishment effectively amounts to nearly four matches out of action. Because the red card came so early, the remaining three quarters of the derby plus three full games mean Foden will be absent from competition for close to a month in total.

He is ruled out of the Carabao Cup tie against Norwich City and the Premier League meetings with Sunderland and Liverpool. Once the four England fixtures are added on top, the midfielder will not step on a pitch until a month from now. For a player desperate for minutes and goals, the timing could hardly be worse.

Where Foden stands in Enzo Maresca's City pecking order

The suspension opens the door for several rivals already pushing hard for minutes. Jeremy Doku, who missed the derby through injury, should be fit again by the time Foden returns, tightening the competition on the right flank even further.

In the meantime, Iliman Ndiaye seized his opportunity at Old Trafford with an outstanding display on the right wing. Allan Elias, another late signing, also hopes to impress against Norwich. And in the number ten role, Foden's preferred position, Rayan Cherki has taken control of the creative duties.

Cherki and the fight for the number ten role

Foden began the season as City's attacking midfielder, helped by Cherki still recovering after the World Cup. That advantage did not last. The Frenchman's dazzling performance against Crystal Palace put him back in charge of the playmaker role, and he has now scored eight goals for City since Foden's last one.

Foden's goal drought stretches back more than a year

The numbers are stark: 35 straight City appearances without finding the net. The barren run stretches back to a period that already worried Pep Guardiola last season and stands in sharp contrast to the 2023-24 campaign, when Foden scored 27 goals and won both the PFA Player of the Year and Football Writers' Association awards.

Since then, only a brief six-week purple patch between November and December of last season interrupted a slump that now spans more than two years. At 26, Foden should be in his prime, yet he finds himself in a mid-career malaise. City handed him a new contract, but on the pitch it has been Cherki stealing the headlines.

What Foden has to regain when his ban ends

The fixture list offers no favours. Had he been available, the home tie against Championship side Norwich could have given Foden the ideal chance to end his drought, perhaps even as a central striker if Erling Haaland were rested. That window has now closed before he could even reach for it.

For a player with a proud scoring record in Manchester derbies, this was meant to be the game that sparked him back into form. Instead, the kick at Fernandes only deepens the sense that his season has barely started and is already sliding in the wrong direction. The frustration that had been building all year found its outlet in the worst possible way.

Foden's red card turned a difficult afternoon into a month-long punishment for a player who needed the exact opposite: minutes, confidence and, above all, a goal to break the drought.