Jack Grealish
Pep Guardiola gave his seal of approval to Jack Grealish’s Manchester City debut but said he will have to find his best “step by step”. The £100million new boy only joined training at the City Football Academy yesterday before travelling to London for the Community Shield clash with Leicester And he played the last half-hour as the Blues went down 1-0 to a late Leicester penalty, slotting in on the left of the City attack, with Phil Foden injured and Raheem Sterling still to return to training after Guardiola gave his England and Brazil players – who reached continental finals this summer – an extra week off. Grealish replaced 18-year-old Same Edozie after the youngster went down with cramp on 64 minutes, and struck up a good understanding with another teenager, Cole Palmer, and then with substitute Bernardo Silva. There were a few glimpses of the trademark twinkling feet as Grealish teased Ricardo Pereira – and Guardiola declared his happiness at his first sight of the British record buy in a City shirt.
Pep Guardiola said: “He was really good – aggressive, going against full backs and every time he had the ball there were three players [around him]. We will know him and step by step he will find the best,” said the manager.
Grealish is set to make his league debut for the club next Sunday at Tottenham, but whether he starts or again comes off the bench will depend on how training goes this week, with the rest of the squad expected back.
Pep Guardiola said: “The players who played today will be better next Sunday. That is the process we have to do and these three games before the international break get as much points as possible to be there and week by week after the international break we start the Champions League and I’m pretty sure we will be better. But I saw many incredible things today. I said to all the guys how proud I am but in this business we must win and when you don’t win, congratulate the opponent who absolutely deserved it and think on the next week.”
