Pep Guardiola apologises to Jack Grealish over England snub | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has apologised to Jack Grealish for not giving the winger enough minutes to earn a spot in the England squad this month.

There was no place for the 29-year-old in Thomas Tuchel's first England selection, with the new manager admitting Grealish's limited role at club level was behind his omission from the group of players chosen for upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Indeed, Tuchel went on to hint at frustrations from Grealish towards Guardiola, recalling a conversation with the winger in which he discussed his disappointment at not playing regularly and building up his sharpness.

Grealish has played 16 times in the Premier League this season for a total of 605 minutes, just 34 of which have come in 2025.

Asked how difficult it is to continue to leave Grealish on the bench, Guardiola admitted: "I feel so sorry for all of the players who don't play.

"What can I say? Kova [Mateo Kovacic], Nico [O'Reilly] and James McAtee. I know that. When we have games every three days, it's easy for the rotation, but now I have to decide every game for the quality they have.

"All the managers around the world have to make the right decision. When they select 11, they have to believe they're going to win. I never found a manager who selects a team thinking it's going to lose. So I try and, if we win, I'm right and if we don't, it could be better."

As he approaches the final two years of his contract, Grealish is expected to be one of several players made available for transfer this summer, with City preparing to make a significant loss on the club record £100m they paid to sign the winger in 2021.