Pep Guardiola insisted Jack Grealish’s absence from Man City’s squad for their final-day trip to Fulham was “not personal”.
Grealish started just seven Premier League games as City finished third in the Premier League.
When City’s team news was announced, Guardiola had responded to questions about Grealish’s omission by putting it down to “selection”.
Speaking in his post-match press conference at Craven Cottage, the Spaniard said: “The last two months, month, month-and-a-half, I [left] five, six players at home at a time, and now this time, I decided [that] for these guys. No more than that. I don’t have anything.
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Highlights from the Premier League match between Fulham and Manchester City.
“Of course, Jack has to play. That’s the truth. Jack is an unbelievable player that has to play football every three days. And it didn’t happen this season, and last season neither. And he needs to do it with us, or another place.
“But that is a question for Jack, his agent, and the club. If he stays, we’ll be fine, and he’ll fight like he fought since day one to make a contribution.”
Pressed on the situation by Sky Sports News reporter Gary Cotterill, Guardiola added: “Who said I’m not happy with him? I said in my words I’m not happy with him?
“The last games he didn’t play. He was on the bench, and Rico [Lewis] – for me, one of the favourite players I have – he was not selected either.
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The Saturday Social team run through the entire current Manchester City squad and debate which players should stay and go.
“[James] McAtee played against Aston Villa, was exceptional, and against Wolves, was exceptional. Today he was not selected either. Why don’t you ask me about McAtee, for example? It’s not personal. I don’t have any problems with the players.
“I have 24 players. I had to get rid of six players last game, today five, because [Mateo] Kovacic was sent off in the last game. Otherwise, I had six players at home.
“It’s not anything personal about Jack, absolutely anything. I’m the person who fought [for him] to come here, and fought [for him] to stay here this season and the previous season. The one that said I want Jack with me.
“What happens in the future? Listen, it’s a job for Hugo [Viana], for Txiki [Bergiristain]. It’s not for me.”
Pep on Man City rebuild: New faces will come but not a lot
Later on, Guardiola said he doesn’t feel City need a rebuild in the summer, though he hinted at new signings arriving.
The Spaniard has had to leave fit players out of his matchday squad recently and joked this week that he could quit the club if he has too many players at his disposal.
Asked if he thinks there needs to be an overhaul to his squad this summer, Guardiola said: “I don’t have that feeling. I’m sorry. Maybe the club is a little bit different. We will see.
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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says he wants a smaller squad or he will quit if it stays too large, claiming he doesn’t want to leave fully fit players out of his matchday squads.
“I have 24 players, and I saw my players yesterday, the day before training, I said, ‘Oh my gosh, how good they are’. So I don’t have that feeling.
“But of course, new faces will come, especially in positions that are a little weaker. But I don’t think much. I don’t think a lot.
“I don’t think a lot because we have a good squad, they have contracts, they will stay here, and I don’t want to have many players.
“I remember the first season when we arrived. We qualified [for Champions League], we didn’t win one title. Not like this season, we won the Community Shield.
“It was 9, 10, 11 players, out of contract. We didn’t extend except Yaya Toure. The rest, we didn’t extend.
“Then you can make the changes. But today, we have 23 players under contract. It’s not as simple as that.
“That’s why I don’t have the feeling that they will [change] a lot of people. But we will see.
“The summer is long, Club World Cup. The players may visualise ‘I’m not going to play, I want to leave, I’m not happy, I want to leave’. I don’t know.
“But that, I’m sorry, is not now my business. I do my business, qualify for the Champions League for next year, and the rest now belongs to the club.”
Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from next season
Watch more Premier League matches on Sky Sports ever before with 215 games live of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
From next season, Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.
And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games next season are on Sky Sports.
