Phil Foden's Girlfriend Rebecca Cooke Welcomes Third Child as England Return is Confirmed

Phil Foden is returning to the England camp after the birth of his third child. Foden, 24, flew back to England immediately following Tuesday night’s draw with Slovenia, where his partner Rebecca Cooke gave birth to a baby boy. After a brief trip home, Foden was expected to rejoin the team on Thursday night, flying back to Germany from the United Kingdom.

This means Foden is anticipated to train on Friday and should be in contention to start in England’s last-16 tie against Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday. This is a significant boost for England boss Gareth Southgate, who views Foden as a crucial player in this tournament, especially given his standout performance in the draw with Slovenia.

Foden has started all three of England’s Group C matches in Germany, helping the team finish at the top of the group. The Football Association announced on Wednesday that Foden had left the team’s Spa and GolfResort Weimarer Land base to attend to “a pressing family matter.”

“Phil Foden has temporarily left the England camp and returned to the UK for a pressing family matter,” an FA spokesperson said.

Foden has two other children with his partner Rebecca Cooke. Their son Ronnie was born in 2019, while Foden was still in his teens, and they welcomed a daughter in 2021. Ronnie, who has become an Instagram celebrity with millions of followers, revealed in April that his parents were expecting a third child. The family posed with a sign reading "Baby Foden," which was shared on Ronnie's Instagram account.

Phil Foden will now rejoin the squad ahead of Sunday’s game against Slovakia as England returns to the Veltins Arena, the venue of their opening group-stage win over Serbia.

Foden hit the post in England’s 1-1 draw with Denmark and has shown flashes of brilliance, though he has yet to recapture the form that made him shine for Manchester City last year.

England boss Gareth Southgate has faced challenges in finding the right balance among his attacking options, with the team scoring only twice in three matches so far.

Southgate also faces a midfield dilemma. Trent Alexander-Arnold was dropped against Slovenia, and Conor Gallagher was replaced at half-time. Kobbie Mainoo is a strong contender to start against Slovakia on Sunday after an impressive performance in central midfield against Slovenia.

Declan Rice missed training on Thursday due to his own fitness program but is expected to be fit and likely involved in all the build-up. Kieran Trippier, who has been filling in at left-back despite missing much of the season run-in with a calf injury, also missed training and followed his own program.

Luke Shaw, who has been sidelined with a hamstring issue since February, has declared himself fit to play against Slovakia. Southgate has been without a natural left-back throughout the tournament, and Shaw's return, either as a starter or substitute, would be a significant boost.

England are seen as red-hot favorites to defeat Slovakia, ranked 45th in the world, and advance to the quarter-finals of the Euros.