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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has apologised to Jack Grealish for failing to give the England star enough time in the tournament. Grealish was the most-expensive British signing in Premier League history four years ago. In the ongoing season of the English football league, he has appeared for only 1108 minutes on the field which averages his presence 50 minutes per game. The 29-year-old isn’t on the top of Guardiola’s list of marquee players as the 54-year-old has shown more faith in Savinho and Jeremy Doku in the left-wing position.
In the recent conversation with the media, Guardiola discussed the time-issue related to Grealish and revealed he is bound to keep Jack limited in the competition and he doesn't have any personal issues with the Birmingham-born player. He also cited Savinho's impact. "I'm so sorry he doesn't get the minutes that maybe he deserves. But [in] the end, the contributions from Jeremy or Savinho have been massive this season, this is the only reason why. It's not personal, or [that] I don't like Jack, or I don't have confidence in him,” said Guardiola.
He also added, "Of course when you play one player more minutes than another, you have more confidence [than him] right now. But I know his attributes, it's just for the fact that for the impact of Savinho. It's [Savinho's] first season; his impact in goals, and assists, the last game at Arsenal made an incredible step-up defensively and challenging duels. And this is the reason why."
Watch video of Pep speaking of Grealish's over-time issue:
Will City part ways with Jack Grealish?
Grealish hasn’t got enough time from Pep Guardiola this season but the stylish forward player is expected to be a part of his manager’s scheme of things in the remainder of the competition. Guardiola’s rotation policy might get him a spot in City’s upcoming matches. He played a key role in City’s title triumph in the 2022-23 edition. However, his performance has slumped in the last two years which resulted in his exclusion from England’s Euro Cup 2024 squad.
His current term records only two goals and four assists in 22 matches. Amidst all these developments, there are predictions regarding Grealish’s exit from City as his future doesn’t look promising in his current side. City’s new signings will also add charcoal to the fire as Guardiola might face a headache as the Spanish will be expected to make some tough decisions in the formidable line-ups.
