Lee Carsley disputes Pep Guardiola claim over Jack Grealish’s fitness | OneFootball

Lee Carsley has disputed Pep Guardiola’s assertion that Jack Grealish was not fit for an international call-up by saying there was regular communication between Manchester City and England before the midfielder was selected last week.

Grealish, who has missed City’s last six matches, was included in the 26-man party Carsley named on Thursday, but was one of eight withdrawals from the squad on Monday.

The £100m signing has scored twice in Carsley’s brief reign and the interim manager admitted it was a risk to pick Grealish, but said it was based on medical advice.

Guardiola had argued that Grealish should be left at City to recuperate, saying on Friday: “In 17 days he didn’t train once. [Thursday] was his first training and he trained for 20 minutes. This is the reality.

“It’s always has been like that. National teams always play in this period and I’m always pleased for players to go. When they are fit, and they haven’t struggled for the last one, two, three, four weeks.

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Pep Guardiola had expressed surprise at Jack Grealish being called into the England squad (PA Archive)

"They love to play with their national teams. When they are fit and don’t struggle in the last month. I have the opinion they have to recover."

But Carsley responded: “So the medical teams are constantly talking throughout squad selection, regardless of whether there are games or not. We are constantly getting updates.

“The medical departments have brilliant communication between club and country. It was always the case we were going to get the players who were potentially going to miss out in to be assessed. Jack was one of them. He was assessed and sent back and it was as clear as that.”

Besides Grealish, Carsley lost Phil Foden, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Aaron Ramsdale, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Levi Colwill and Cole Palmer on Monday.

Jarrad Branthwaite was brought in to replace Colwill, as five other players were called up, but the Everton centre-back is set to miss out with Liverpool’s Jarrel Quansah being added to the squad instead.

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Jarrad Branthwaite looks set to miss out (PA Archive)

And Carsley added: “We have tried to give Jarrad as long we can but he is probably going to miss out so Jarrel will join the travelling party and take part in the rest of the camp. I think it’s really important that Jarrad hasn’t trained. He’s been treated for the last two or three days and it’s an issue that Everton will now take over when he goes back.”