Jack Grealish will not be part of the Manchester City squad travelling for the pre-season tour in Asia. The winger returned to pre-season training with the club last week, but has been working individually as he recovers from an injury sustained during his loan spell with Everton last season.
This injury has been cited as a reason for the player’s absence from the touring party. Manchester City is scheduled to play against Inter Milan in Hong Kong, and then face the K-League All-Stars and Atletico Madrid in South Korea.
Injury Recovery and Club Career
Grealish has not played since January, and his future at Manchester City remains uncertain as he enters the final year of his contract. There is an expectation that he may depart from the Etihad this summer. He recently posted images on social media from Mallorca, where he has been since Monday.
New manager Enzo Maresca commented on his relationship with the former Aston Villa player during his initial press conference. Maresca stated, “At the moment, he’s here. He’s a Man City player. I always said the same. In any club I join, I like to know if there are players that belong to the club. It’s my duty to try to coach them. Jack is here. I have a good relation 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. And then we see what happens.”
Grealish featured in Premier League matches for Manchester City prior to his loan move. He joined Everton, where he found rhythm before suffering a foot injury. Maresca, who has taken over a squad that has not won the league title for two seasons, acknowledged the difficulty in evaluating Grealish‘s future while the player continues his recovery. He noted, “When you don’t work day by day with the players, it’s difficult to judge. I don’t know what he has done. It’s complicated.”
Despite Everton not exercising their option to buy Grealish permanently, Maresca has indicated that the door is not closed for the winger. Maresca previously worked with Grealish when he served as Pep Guardiola‘s assistant at Manchester City, highlighting their existing connection. He reiterated, “In any club I join, it’s my duty to coach the players at the club and Jack is here at the moment. I have a good relationship with him and since I left we’ve been keeping in touch. He has a big heart and is a very good guy but we’ll see what happens.”
Future Prospects and Team Dynamics
While his long-term prospects are a subject of discussion, the immediate focus for Grealish is to return to full fitness. He is working to overcome the persistent foot issue that affected his time on Merseyside. Manchester City currently possesses numerous attacking options, meaning Grealish will need to demonstrate his physical readiness to compete for a place in a team aiming to regain domestic success.
He recently provided an update on his rehabilitation process via social media, expressing his desire to rejoin his teammates after missing the final months of the season. Grealish posted, “Nice to see everyone. I’m nearly there — hopefully not long now til I’m back training.”
Grealish has made 157 appearances for Manchester City and scored 17 goals, contributing to the club securing three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one Club World Cup, and one Champions League crown. He will continue his individual fitness programme. Once cleared by the medical staff, he will aim to impress Maresca during training sessions.
With Manchester City looking to begin a new era of success and recover from recent title disappointments, the winger faces the challenge of revitalising his career at the Etihad and adding to his collection of medals. Maresca wants Grealish on City’s Asia tour, but a decision will be made later as he is not yet close to full fitness.
Source: manchestereveningnews.co.uk