Ronald Araujo reveals clear-the-air talks with Phil Foden after Man City star on end of horror challenge during England's draw with Uruguay

The Uruguayan centre-back found himself at the centre of a storm after a heavy challenge on Foden during the second half of the clash in London. Despite the intensity of the tackle, which saw him arrive late for a loose ball, Araujo was adamant that he never meant to cause any physical harm to the City playmaker.

In his post-match comments to reporters, Araujo explained his side of the story and confirmed he had already checked on Foden's wellbeing. "I spoke to him after the match, he told me he was fine," the defender stated.

He later added: "These things happen on the field. My goal was not to cause harm, I was aiming to get to the ball. Foden knows that. I am happy because there is no problem."

Emphasising that such situations can be exaggerated when frozen in time, Araujo pointed to the referee and VAR’s decision as further validation of his intentions, reiterating that those who know him are aware he does not play with bad intent.

He added: "If you freeze play, it looks like a very hard challenge, but my intention was to go for the ball. Plus, the referee, VAR was there, so I think he judged I was going for the ball. But the important thing is I spoke with him Foden, he's okay, and he told me it was no big deal, that it's soccer."

While Araujo was quick to downplay the incident, the reaction from the England bench and the UK media was far more severe. The challenge occurred in the 50th minute, and though Foden managed to continue for a short period before being replaced, the sheer force of the contact led to calls for a red card from those watching.

Tuchel was seen visibly angry on the touchline, while former England defender Harry Maguire expressed his disappointment that VAR did not intervene to upgrade the foul to a sending-off, especially with the World Cup looming on the horizon.

Although Foden appears to have escaped a serious setback, the same cannot be said for several of his international team-mates.

England have confirmed that eight players have left the camp during this international break due to various fitness concerns, leaving Tuchel with a depleted squad ahead of Tuesday's meeting with Japan.

Among those departing are Aaron Ramsdale, Fikayo Tomori, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Furthermore, John Stones has returned to Manchester City for assessment after a training ground issue, while Arsenal duo Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka have also headed back to north London for medical checks.

Adam Wharton and Noni Madueke returned to Crystal Palace and Arsenal, respectively, following injuries sustained during the Uruguay match.