MANCHESTER, England -- In the week Pep Guardiola said not even a £500 million bid could tempt Manchester City to sell Phil Foden, a joke did the rounds on social media that the teenager would probably only play for two minutes in the next game against Crystal Palace.
In the end he was granted 60 seconds at Selhurst Park -- on as an 89th-minute substitute for Kevin De Bruyne -- and touched the ball twice. He has still only started three Premier League games since making his debut in 2017.
It is a snapshot of the problem Guardiola faces with a player considered one of the brightest prospects England has ever produced.