Pep Guardiola: Jack Grealish not fit for Manchester City despite England call-up

Pep Guardiola has insisted Jack Grealish will not be fit for Manchester City’s trip to Brighton on Saturday despite the midfielder receiving an England call-up this week.

Grealish has played only once since starting City’s 3-2 win over Fulham over a month ago, appearing as a substitute in the 2-1 victory at Wolves on October 20th.

Guardiola had previously said the 29-year-old had been ruled out until after the international break, yet on Thursday England interim manager Lee Carsley risked another club versus country row by naming Grealish in his squad for the Nations League matches against Greece and the Republic of Ireland.

When asked for his thoughts on Carsley’s decision to include Grealish, Guardiola gave a curt response.

“A question for the manager from (England),” the City boss said.

And asked if Grealish would be fit for the trip to Brighton on Saturday, he simply added: “No”.

Guardiola arrived half an hour late for his press conference, and gave short, terse answers throughout.

Grealish is one of several City players still sidelined in a worrying run of injuries which has contributed to Guardiola’s side losing three in a row, and the City boss said he would go to Brighton with the same squad that travelled to Lisbon in midweek for what ended in a 4-1 defeat to Sporting.

Guardiola has never lost four in a row during his managerial career, but that could change unless City show a response on the south coast.

“(It would be) the first time in our lives, hopefully that is not the case,” Guardiola said. “But you tell me that 20 minutes against Fulham wasn’t good, against Bournemouth (a 2-1 defeat) we were not good, but then the rest of the games were good. We are good. We’ll see what happens.”

Tuesday’s humbling in