Manchester City did not include Jack Grealish in their 28-man squad for the pre-season tour of Asia.
Jack Grealish will continue his recovery from injury, away from the pre-season tour
Jack Grealish will continue his recovery from injury away from the pre-season tour(Image: Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
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Manchester City forward Jack Grealish has hit back at suggestions he has been 'left out' of Manchester City's pre-season tour squad for any other reason than he is still recovering from an injury.
The 30-year-old spent last season on loan at Everton after Pep Guardiola used him sparingly in the second half of the 2024/25 season. Grealish did well during his stint on Merseyside, but his season ended prematurely due to a foot injury.
Guardiola left City at the end of last season and his replacement, Enzo Maresca, was unveiled to the media last Friday. During that press conference, Maresca was asked about Grealish's future. He responded: "Jack, at the moment, is here. He is a Man City player. I always said the same in any club I join. If there are players that belong to the club, it's my duty to try to coach them.
"I have a good relationship with Jack since I left, also, we keep in touch. And the reason why is because he has a big heart, and he's a very good guy. So this is the reason why. Then, we see what happens."
This looked to potentially open the door to a return to City's first team for Grealish. However, despite a number of players being unavailable after competing at the World Cup, the winger was not included in the squad.
In a now deleted Instagram post, ESPN UK wrote: "Jack Grealish and Kalvin Phillips have been left out of Man City's pre-season squad travelling to Asia. They haven't played since January and February respectively."
Responding to the post, Grealish wrote: "Just to let you know, I'm still recovering from an injury so I'm not training yet. Haven't been 'left out' so stop talking poo poo, thanks."
Phillips, who was also mentioned in the ESPN post, is set to rejoin Sheffield United on loan for the season.
City kick off their pre-season tour of Asia on Saturday when they take on Inter Milan in Hong Kong.