5 Manchester City players who must step up in the absence of Kevin de Bruyne

#5 Phil Foden

Foden is already a World Cup winner with England's U-17

There are very few young players in the Premier League with as much potential as Foden. The 18-year-old played just five league games last season, but Pep Guardiola appears keen to use him more this season, and he may get an even greater chance given de Bruyne’s injury. It is unlikely that he will be a regular starter in the near future, but he certainly has a big role to play in and around the squad.

He may only be a teenager, but he already has an impressive CV. He finished last season with a Premier League and EFL Cup winners medal and started in the Community Shield win over Chelsea at the start of the month. He also captained England to the U-17 World Cup title in 2017, where won the Golden Ball for best player. He will hope to build on that with Manchester City in the coming years, and that may start with getting an increased amount of playing time in the coming months.