Manchester City receive a boost as Jack Grealish returns to England training despite injury concerns
In a surprising turn of events, Jack Grealish has returned to England training immediately, despite being left out of Lee Carsley’s squad for the Nations League match against Greece. Grealish, who picked up a minor injury while away with the Three Lions, was treated with caution but now seems back in action.
Without Grealish, England struggled in Thursday night’s 2-1 defeat to Greece, a shocking result that left fans and pundits alike questioning the tactical approach. Grealish, who had impressed during the September international break, was missed on the pitch, especially as Carsley had opted for a highly attacking lineup. Despite fielding Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Anthony Gordon, England lacked a cohesive game plan, with their attack missing a central figure.
The absence of a solid midfield structure was also evident, with only Declan Rice left to cover defensively. When England lost possession, Greece exploited the space, hitting back on the counterattack and causing trouble throughout the match. Grealish could only watch from the sidelines, having sustained a knock earlier in the week during training at Burton.
“We’ll assess Jack later,” said Carsley ahead of the game. “Our attitude is we won’t gamble with any of the players. It’s important to put them first. They’ll be okay in a couple of days, so we won’t take any risks.”
Thankfully for Manchester City, it appears that caution paid off. Grealish, along with fellow England stars Harry Kane, Marc Guehi, and Kyle Walker, was back on the training pitch as seen in a post shared online on Friday. None of the four had featured against Greece, further suggesting that the decision to hold them back was precautionary.
England will face Finland in their next match on Sunday, but the timing works in Grealish’s favor. With a full week before City’s Premier League clash against Wolves, the 29-year-old should have ample time to fully recover. City will be eager to put on a better performance than their previous outing against Fulham before the international break, and Grealish will likely be a key part of Guardiola’s plans if he is fit.
This season, Grealish has been an essential figure for City, playing in all but one of their matches across competitions. He has started six of the nine games so far, only missing the opening day win against Chelsea, where he was already considered a fitness doubt. Even in the matches where he hasn’t started, he’s come off the bench to make an impact.
Despite the risks of injuries during international duty—a concern City are all too familiar with—Guardiola has encouraged his players to continue accepting their call-ups. With Grealish seemingly back to fitness, the City boss will hope his star midfielder returns from England duty unscathed and ready for the crucial Premier League and Champions League matches ahead.
