Guardiola Voices Concerns Over Grealish's Inclusion In England Squad Amid Fitness Issues

Add as a preferred source on Google

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is displeased with Jack Grealish's selection for England's squad during the November international break. Grealish hasn't played since a brief 17-minute appearance against Wolves, following the last international window. England's interim manager, Lee Carsley, justified Grealish's inclusion by stating he had resumed training and would be evaluated by the national team staff.

Guardiola expressed his frustration over this decision, especially after ruling Grealish out of Manchester City's upcoming match against Brighton. He suggested that Carsley might have been mistaken about Grealish's training status. "In 17 days, he didn’t train once. Today was the first training and he trained for 20 minutes," Guardiola stated in a press conference.

Guardiola clarified that although Grealish spent some time in the gym recently, it wasn't enough to consider him fully fit. "Yes, he was in the gym for a few minutes for the past two days," Guardiola mentioned. He emphasized that decisions regarding player fitness should involve communication between club and national team medical departments.

The Manchester City manager revealed that there had been no discussions with Carsley or between the medical teams of Manchester City and the FA regarding Grealish's condition. Despite this, Grealish expressed his desire to join England's squad when speaking with Guardiola.

"They can select who they want," said Guardiola, acknowledging that national teams have their own criteria for player selection. He noted that Grealish has faced multiple injuries this season, affecting his ability to find consistent form. The winger has yet to score in 10 appearances across all competitions for City this season.

National teams often play during international breaks, and Guardiola usually supports players joining their national sides if they are fit and haven't struggled with injuries recently. However, he stressed that Grealish had not trained adequately to be considered match-ready.

The situation highlights ongoing challenges clubs face when balancing player fitness with national team commitments. Guardiola remains focused on ensuring players are fully prepared before participating in competitive matches.