Jack Grealish has struggled for game-time at Manchester City this season and is set to be left out of Pep Guardiola's squad for the Club World Cup
Manchester City winger Jack Grealish
Manchester City winger Jack Grealish(Image: Getty Images)
Thomas Tuchel has expressed his admiration for Jack Grealish despite the Manchester City star's struggle for playing time, which could hamper his England prospects ahead of the World Cup.
Tuchel has previously praised Grealish's personality and bravery on the ball but has omitted him from recent squads due to his lack of action at City, with Grealish making just a handful of appearances since March. That has led to speculation he could leave City - even a return to Aston Villa has been mooted.
The England manager highlighted that Grealish, renowned for thriving under pressure, desperately needs regular minutes on the pitch to regain his form.
Pep Guardiola is reportedly considering leaving the ex-Aston Villa ace out of his Club World Cup plans, intensifying speculation about Grealish's future at the club.
Tuchel said: "My thoughts are still the same. I love Jack for his personality and of course his talent.
"He is a very unique player who can handle big pressure on the field. He is never shy of pressure. It's the opposite.
"He grows in big matches but he's a player who needs minutes and minutes and minutes and simply does not get them for a very long time. That's basically everything. Nothing has changed.
"I have maybe the same information as you that City are thinking of not taking him to the Club World Cup, so he needs to make himself available by playing. I think it's one of his key strengths.
"To go every three days and get better and better with every minute that he has in his legs – that's what is missing, nothing else.
"I have spoken to him after the first international camp and very shortly after the FA Cup final but not since then."
Notably missing from England's line-up for June's matches, there are no City players named in the squad. Tuchel emphasised that he isn't sweating over it. Tuchel confirmed, responding to speculation about whether clubs asked for players to be spared in certain games: "No one has asked me that question.
"I said also many times, I was like 15 years I think in club football, I think I have never asked an international coach what to do and how to use the players.
"We have very limited time for ourselves. We have our very own interest also to see a lot of the players that are in camp and maybe even all of the players that are in camp, so we have an own interest to mix the teams.
"But no coach has called me and there was no request from the FA that a club called. We know the clubs have a lot of matches and the players go after to the Club World Cup.
"But it can also happen that some players start twice for us, but like I said, we also have an interest to see a lot of players in these two matches, so I think we will not in the end upset anyone."
Liam Delap, another player heading to the Club World Cup, will be representing his new club Chelsea instead of leading the attack for England Under-21s at the Euros.
"It would have been nice for him and for the FA for him to play a big tournament, but that's nowadays football," Tuchel commented, who may decide against fielding Bukayo Saka against Andorra as he recovers from an injury.
"There are some rules and its club first. It would have been nice to do the 21s and would have been nice to see him lead the under-21s as the main striker."