Pep Guardiola opens up on Jack Grealish team-sheet snub as Manchester City struggles continue insisting “it’s not personal” | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has insisted that Jack Grealish’s ongoing struggles for starting line-up opportunities are nothing “personal”.

The England international was handed a rare start on Tuesday night as the Premier League champions welcomed Real Madrid to the Etihad Stadium for the first-leg of a last-16 play-off clash between the two clubs.

And for the opening exchanges, Grealish was at the centre of everything excellent going forward, slicing open the Madrid back-line with a pass into Josko Gvardiol, who chested the ball to Erling Haaland to strike home for Manchester City’s opener.

Grealish’s misery for the season would come back to haunt him once more as he was ultimately forced out of the action with Phil Foden coming on in his place, having sustained what appeared to be a groin issue.

Speaking during a recent press conference, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was quizzed on Grealish’s situation at the Etihad Stadium amid a troublesome campaign for the forward.

“I’m so sorry they don’t get the minutes that maybe they deserve but at the end, the contributions from Jeremy [Doku] or Savinho have been massive this season,” Guardiola pointed out.

“This is the only reason why; it’s not personal, or that I don’t like Jack, or that I don’t have confidence in him. Of course when you play one player more minutes than another, you have more confidence right now.”

Guardiola continued on the club’s number 10, “But I know his attributes, it’s just for the fact that the impact one of the big, big news this season in Savinho. It’s his first season; his impact in goals, assists, last game at Arsenal made an incredible step-up defensively and challenging duels. And this is the reason why.

“The manager has to sometimes select one player in front of another, not just because you don’t like the other one, but because a player can give you in the certain moment of a season, right now better. No more than that.

“And of course I make mistakes and maybe he should play in other games, or maybe players who play shouldn’t, but it’s my world, my life, and you have to accept it. My job is my job, and I have to do what I believe, and I try to be honest with myself.”

Grealish will be hoping his injury is not too serious given the nature of the games that Manchester City have on the horizon, including next week’s return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid as they look to overcome a 3-2 scoreline.