Grealish: I was not ruled out by the new Manchester City manager

London - AFP - Jack Grealish, the English winger, responded to rumors that he had been excluded by Enzo Maresca, the new manager of his English football club Manchester City, from the pre-season tour.

Grealish, 30, missed City’s trip to Hong Kong and Seoul in preparation for the start of the new Premier League season, leading to speculation that he would not be part of Maresca’s plans for the upcoming campaign.

However, Grealish dismissed these claims, emphasizing that he is still recovering from foot surgery he underwent in February, which ended his season.

He posted a comment on an Instagram post that was later deleted, writing: “I just want to let you know that I am still recovering from an injury, so I am not training yet. I have not been excluded, so stop spreading this nonsense. Thank you.”

Grealish joined City in 2021 in a deal worth £100 million ($133 million) from his former club Aston Villa, and has won three Premier League titles with the team.

He was part of the City squad that achieved the historic treble in the 2022-2023 season, but gradually lost his place under former Spanish manager Pep Guardiola, amid reports of his off-field behavior.

Last season, Grealish joined Everton on loan, but has intensified his rehabilitation program in recent weeks in an attempt to prove his worth to Maresca.

For his part, Maresca commented on the situation of the player, who is in the final year of his contract with City, saying: “At the moment, he is here. I have a good relationship with Jack. We remain in touch, and the reason is that he has a big heart and is a very kind person.”