Phil Foden's half-time substitution for Manchester City against Bournemouth was purely tactical, Pep Guardiola says, and more a reflection on replacement Jack Grealish's summer form.
Foden kept his place from the win at West Ham where he played on the right, but moved over to his favoured left position against Bournemouth as Riyad Mahrez replaced Grealish on the right.
Foden justified his involvement as he scored City's third goal with an inside run - identical to a run earlier in the game where he had seen a shot saved.
However, with a 3-0 lead, Foden did not reappear for the second half, with Grealish replacing him, and Guardiola explained that there was no hint of an injury behind the decision. ALSO READ:Guardiola insists Man City are working to find solution to Erling Haaland problem Instead, after Grealish had started all pre-season games and the first Premier League fixture vs West Ham, Guardiola felt that the situation allowed him to reward his number ten with some minutes after an undeserved drop to the bench. "I wanted to play Jack and he did some movements we spoke about," Guardiola said. "Especially because Jack, it was tough for me to not let him play.