Lee Carsley responds to Pep Guardiola over Jack Grealish England call and offers Man City verdict
Jack Grealish was one of eight players to withdraw from the England squad on Monday
In the wake of the club versus country dispute concerning Jack Grealish’s fitness, England interim boss Lee Carsley has fired back at Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
Guardiola expressed his displeasure after England selected Grealish for the upcoming Nations League matches against Greece and the Republic of Ireland, despite declaring him unfit. He also suggested that the Football Association had not communicated properly.
However, despite eight players pulling out of the England squad on Monday, including Grealish, Carsley highlighted that the City forward did indeed show up as required, only to be assessed and then sent home. Carsley defended the communication between the FA medics and City as “brilliant”.
Carsley was quoted: “So the medical teams are constantly talking throughout squad selection, regardless of whether there are games or not. We are constantly getting updates. The medical departments have brilliant communication between club and country.
“The medical process is crystal clear — players potentially missing out come in to be assessed. Jack was one of them. He was assessed and sent back and it was as clear as that.”
England are under pressure to triumph over Greece in Athens to maintain their chances of topping their group and ward off the prospect of a Nations League play-off next March. Nonetheless, they will have to proceed without several key players such as Grealish, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Carsley refuted claims that player withdrawals represented a lack of respect for the national team or his role as interim manager. He acknowledged: “November historically has always been a really challenging month for us with the number of the games the players are playing. A lot of the injuries they carry need managing through games but historically we have lost a fair number of players in November.”
He also found a silver lining, stating: “The plus side is that it gives us a chance to bring in other players and give them opportunities so we are still in a good place. We are really looking forward to the game. It’s a good chance for some of the players who are on standby. It’s a good opportunity.”
