It's fair to say Phil Foden remains in a bit of a limbo for Manchester City at present, despite ending his exile from Pep Guardiola's first-choice XI with back-to-back starts.
His start in the Premier League on Thursday was only his second in seven City appearances, and it won't have been lost on him that the Blues looked far better without him after his 59th-minute substitution.
After an electric start to the season, Foden has gone from a first-choice starter and one of their key creative options, striking up a formidable relationship with Erling Haaland, to a second-choice winger scrapping for minutes in the FA Cup third round. And his start in the cup on Sunday wasn't even in his best position.
