When it comes to positions and formations, you have to take everything Pep Guardiola says with an Everest-sized pinch of salt.
The manager stood there beaming in his pre-RB Leipzig interview on BT Sport and told the reporter that Manchester City always line up with a back four and Nathan Ake would be playing left-back for the game. Fast forward to 30 seconds after kick-off and it was clearly not the case.
City were in a back three that consisted of Ake while Kyle Walker pushed up on the right, Jack Grealish manned the left and Bernardo Silva was everywhere. It's not the first time Guardiola has said one thing only for a completely different one to happen.
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So when he says that Phil Foden will become a midfielder again one day, it's hard to fully believe that will ever come to pass. The homegrown star came through the ranks as the heir apparent to David Silva and was used primarily as a midfielder as he was establishing himself in the squad.
But ever since Foden became a player trusted to start the majority of matches two-and-a-half years ago he has almost exclusively been deployed in the attack. Mostly on the left but occasionally as a false-9 and on the right flank as well. It's worked a treat. Until his dip in form in recent months, Foden has been exceptional and a key figure in the Blues' last two title triumphs. In the two full seasons before the current campaign, he notched 30 goals and 21 assists, excellent figures which don't go close to telling the full story of what he brings to the team.
Regardless of his form in attack, the question of when Foden will return to midfield and whether he can effectively play in the position for Guardiola has never been far away. The Blues boss often has the same response: he has all the quality to do so but I need control in midfield, he is a bit too risky at the moment.
The message was reiterated when asked again last Tuesday: "He can play there, still I have the feeling he's still young. Some maturity to understand what happens in the middle to read what happens.
"Because when you play [on the wing] you are moving the right, do these kind of things, in the middle many things happen and you have to read what happens to react properly. And still he's young. The skills he can do it absolutely. The action, he did in Nottingham, like shoot and putting the balls in for Erling, is the position for Messi when attacking in that period, is perfect from Phil.
"Phil is really good doing that, in the pockets, in the right like Kevin plays, phwoar, but it's not just that, sometimes you have to read when the ball is left, right, when to take positions, when you drop. Sometimes when you play outside it's easier to do these kind of things but with time he will do it. Important he can play four or five positions as I've said many, many times."
So the goal is clear for Foden. If he wants to return to midfield he's been told the key areas where he needs to improve: his reading of the game, positioning and decision-making. The only thing is, a lot of those skills come from actually playing in that position a lot and learning on the job.
It's a bit unfair to want him to know all the ins and outs of a position and when to make the right movements if he's never playing there and getting to grips with the task at hand. Perhaps it's high time he got another shot.
Kevin De Bruyne might be unavailable again so there could be a space in midfield. City must get back to winning ways on Saturday but will surely have enough to get past lowly Bournemouth regardless of who is in midfield.
With De Bruyne's situation and hardly playing at the top of his own game at present anyway, it would be the perfect opportunity for Foden to be handed a chance in midfield and see just how close he is to returning to the position permanently.
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