Pep Guardiola stated Jack Grealish was excluded from Manchester City’s Club World Cup squad following honest discussions but claimed he could stay at City and return as the player who helped claim the treble.
In 35 appearances for City last term Grealish made only 16 starts, with six of these in the league, the 29-year-old’s drop in status underlined by him being an unused replacement in the 1-0 FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace. Guardiola was asked why he left Grealish off City’s bid to claim the inaugural 32-team cup, which begins against Wydad AC at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Wednesday at midday local time.
