90min

Bemused Pep Guardiola criticises England call-up for Jack Grealish

  • Grealish has missed Manchester City's last two Premier League games
  • England attacking midfielder also absent for Champions League defeat at Sporting CP
  • 29-year-old called up for national team duty despite lack of fitness

By Toby Cudworth

Pep Guardiola isn't amused by Jack Grealish's call-up
Pep Guardiola isn't amused by Jack Grealish's call-up / Marc Atkins/GettyImages
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A spiky Pep Guardiola questioned the logic behind England's decision to call up Jack Grealish for the November internationals against Greece and the Republic of Ireland.

Grealish has been sidelined by a knock in recent weeks, missing Manchester City's Premier League games against Southampton and Bournemouth as well as the Champions League clashes with Sparta Prague and Sporting CP.

The 29-year-old is yet to return to full training, but was a surprise inclusion in Lee Carsley's England party for the final international break of the year.

His call-up certainly seems to have surprised Guardiola, who revealed in his latest press conference the "reality" of Grealish's current fitness levels when asked if he was surprised by Carsley's choice.

“It’s his decision," the Spaniard said. "In 17 days, he [Grealish] didn’t train once. [Friday] was his first day training and he only did 20 minutes. So this is the reality.

Pep Guardiola
Guardiola explained Grealish's lack of recent involvement / Gualter Fatia/GettyImages

“In the gym for a few minutes, [he has done training] in the last two days, yes. But it’s a question for the [England] manager. I’m not involved in that, he can select him. The day after Wolves, he was injured and he spent 17 days out."

Elaborating on his bemusement at Grealish's selection, he continued: “National teams always play in this period and I’m always pleased for players to go – when they are fit and they haven’t struggled for the past one, two, three or four weeks.

"They can select all the players that they want. Jack trained and believed he can help us [in training]. I’m not the guy who can say you cannot go. "For [Brighton], he’s not fit. He cannot play [on Saturday]. Since two more days and two weeks, he didn’t train. But the people from England believe he can help them."

Guardiola has been rocked by injuries to a number of key players this season, most notably Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne. The reigning Premier League champions have also been without John Stones, Ruben Dias, Kyle Walker and Jeremy Doku at various points, with Oscar Bobb also a long-term absentee after suffering a broken leg in pre-season.

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