Guardiola apologises to Grealish for not getting the minutes he deserves

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has apologised to Jack Grealish for his lack of playing time this season.

Grealish has played just 1,108 minutes for City this season, averaging just over 50 minutes per game, despite making 22 appearances in all competitions. The England international was outclassed in the competition, with Guardiola favouring Savinho and Jeremy Doku. Now, the Catalan coach has formally apologized to the 29-year-old.

In an interview with the media, Guardiola said about Grealish: "I am sorry that he did not get the playing time he probably deserved. But in the end, Jeremy and Savinho have made huge contributions this season, and that's the only reason. This is not a personal problem, nor is it because I don't like Jack or I don't have confidence in him."

"Of course, when you have one player playing more minutes than another, it means you have more confidence in him at the moment. But I know Grealish's ability, just because Savinho's influence is too great. This is his first season and his contribution in terms of goals, assists is very good. In the last game against Arsenal, his improvement on the defensive end and his performance in the confrontation was amazing, that's why."

With the arrival of new players and the return of injured players, Guardiola's lineup choices have become more complicated. However, the former Barcelona coach stressed that the final decision is still in his hands. He added: "The coach sometimes has to choose between two players, not because he doesn't like someone, but because at a certain point in time, the other player is in better condition, that's all."

"Of course, I make mistakes, maybe there are games where he should play, or where certain players shouldn't play, but this is my world, my life, and you have to accept it. My job is to make decisions and I can only be true to my judgment."