Manchester City’s £100 million star Jack Grealish has struggled for both form and regular playing time at the Etihad Stadium this season, and his lack of minutes has ultimately cost him his place in the England squad under new manager Thomas Tuchel.
Pep Guardiola has admitted he feels sorry for Grealish, acknowledging that the winger’s limited involvement at City has played a key role in his omission from the national team. Grealish was left out of Tuchel’s first England squad, with the new Three Lions boss making it clear that his decision was based on the fact that Grealish has not had enough game time to justify selection.
When asked about how difficult it was to leave Grealish on the bench again—considering he has not started a Premier League match since December—Guardiola expressed his sympathy for the player, stating: “I feel so sorry for all of the players who don’t play.
“When we have matches every three days, rotation becomes easier, but at this moment, I have to make decisions for each game based on the qualities that the players bring.
“Jeremy Doku was outstanding, the way he consistently took the ball to the byline and created opportunities. Savinho missed some chances, but overall, he played very well.
“As managers, we have to make the right decisions. When we select a starting eleven, we do it because we believe that is the best team to win the match.
“I have never come across a manager who picks a team expecting to lose. I always try to be honest in my selections. For this match, I needed speed in attack and stability in midfield, with Ilkay Gundogan’s intelligence and Nicolás Otamendi’s physicality, because I have seen many times how strong Brighton are in those areas.”
