Pep Guardiola has described Jack Grealish suffering an injury on the eve of the season as a "blow", but he has not given up hope of the Manchester City man facing Chelsea on Sunday. (More Football News)
Grealish was ab🍬sent as City beat Manchester United to win the Community Shield on Saturday, triumphing 7-6 on penalties after Bernardo Silva's late header salvaged a 1-1 draw.
Guardiol🌳a has now revealed Grealish suffered from discomfort in training ahead of the match, in another blow after he was left out of Gareth Southgate's England squad for Euro 2024.
That omission came after Grealish endured an injury-hit 2023-24 campaign, making just 10 starts across all competitions after playing a key roleಌ in securing the treble one season earlier.
However, Guardiola has given Grealish a chance of facing Chelsea in City's Premier League opener at Stamford Bri✨dge on Sunday, and is confident he will be fit for their first home game against Ipswich Town six days later.
"Apparently it's not much. In the last two days, he didn't feel good, he had discomfort," Guardiola told report༒ers.
"We trained with the lineup, the starting XI an🔯d he was training but in the last two days♏, the feeling was not good.
"We talked with the doctors and he was no🌼t fine and that's why we didn't want t꧟o take a risk. I don't think it's a big issue but he could not be there.
"It's a blow becaꦆuse he did pre-season and had rhythm and was aggressive, in the third and fourth game he w๊as really, really good and Jeremy [Doku] was on holiday, Savinho as well.
"It 🔯is what it is. During the season, it happens many times with discomfort and injuries. Maybe aꦉgainst Chelsea, he will be ready. I am pretty sure for Ipswich he will be ready."
Greali♛sh contributed to just four goals in all competitions last season (three goals, one assist), his worst tal𒁃ly since joining City in 2021 (six in 2021-22 and 12 in 2022-23).
