Manchester City suffer huge injury blow as key player set to miss Community Shield clash
Manchester City play Manchester United in the Community Shield on Saturday
Jack Grealish is set to miss Manchester City Community Shield match against Manchester United after suffering a late injury.
Grealish was set to start at Wembley, following glowing praise from Pep Guardiola for his impressive pre-season performances.
However, the forward sustained an injury during training just before the Manchester derby in the capital.
This injury is the latest setback for Grealish, who was surprisingly left out of Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2024.
The playmaker had to watch from home as the Three Lions lost their second consecutive Euros final.
Despite the disappointment, Grealish seemed to have rebounded well during City’s pre-season tour, earning high praise from Guardiola.
He said: “What I’ve seen so far here, one week in the pre-season on tour, I loved it.
“I don’t care how he performs, it’s every session his commitment and his trying, against Barcelona he made five or six shots, he was aggressive with the ball, that’s all, after that his quality will do the rest.
“I know he’ll be a father soon and we’re so happy for that.
“All I ask of the players is that – you like to play football, yes, so play.
“Hopefully he can sustain it until the end of the season and like the rest compete with everyone for one place in the starting XI, that depends on him.
“What I see in behaviours, in training and how you’re performing, as well as you do the more chance you have.”
Guardiola is also missing key players, including England’s Phil Foden, John Stones, and Kyle Walker, as well as Spain’s Rodri.
He said: “We try to give them the best rest as possible as much as possible.
“We would like more time but it is what it is, we gave them a lot.
“All the players came back, the England players and Rodri will come back next week.
“What we like to give them is what it is, don’t think about the schedule.
“What’s next, training sessions, it’s just step by step, the next game, try to be smart enough to the training and the right amount of time, so be fresh in the mind.
“So rotate the players as much as possible, and game by game we’ll see what happens.”
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