Jack Grealish needs regular football for World Cup consideration – Thomas Tuchel

By Simon Peach, PA Chief Football Writer, Barcelona

Thomas Tuchel loves Jack Grealish but says the out-of-favour Manchester City star needs to find regular football to force his way back into the England reckoning ahead of the World Cup.

The 29-year-old has found minutes hard to come by at the Etihad Stadium this season and been overlooked for both squads since the German coach took charge.

Tuchel said he loved Grealish’s personality, courage and quality after leaving him out in March due to a lack of game-time, with the attacking midfielder making just six City appearances since then.

City manager Pep Guardiola is reportedly set to leave the former Aston Villa player out of his Club World Cup squad and a summer exit appears on the cards.

England boss Tuchel said: “My thoughts are still the same. I love Jack for his personality and of course his talent.

“He is a very unique player who can handle big pressure on the field. He is never shy of pressure. It’s the opposite.

“He grows in big matches but he’s a player who needs minutes and minutes and minutes and simply does not get them for a very long time. That’s basically everything. Nothing has changed.

 

“I have maybe the same information as you that City are thinking of not taking him to the Club World Cup, so he needs to make himself available by playing. I think it’s one of his key strengths.

“To go every three days and get better and better with every minute that he has in his legs – that’s what is missing, nothing else.

“I have spoken to him after the first international camp and very shortly after the FA Cup final but not since then.”

There are no City players in England’s squad for June’s double-header, but nine of the group are heading to the Club World Cup.

Tuchel said he was not overthinking that aspect and, just like he did at the squad announcement, stressed that international matters took precedence.

Asked if clubs had requested players did not feature in both Saturday’s qualifier against Andorra and the Senegal friendly on Tuesday, he said: “No one has asked me that question.

“I said also many times, I was like 15 years I think in club football, I think I have never asked an international coach what to do and how to use the players.

“We have very limited time for ourselves. We have our very own interest also to see a lot of the players that are in camp and maybe even all of the players that are in camp, so we have an own interest to mix the teams.

“But no coach has called me and there was no request from the FA that a club called.

“We know the clubs have a lot of matches and the players go after to the Club World Cup.

“But it can also happen that some players start twice for us, but like I said, we also have an interest to see a lot of players in these two matches, so I think we will not in the end upset anyone.”

Another player heading to the Club World Cup is Liam Delap, who is going there with new club Chelsea rather than leading the line for England Under-21s at the Euros.

“It would have been nice for him and for the FA for him to play a big tournament, but that’s nowadays football,” said Tuchel, who may not risk Bukayo Saka against Andorra as he recovers from a knock.

“There are some rules and its club first. It would have been nice to do the 21s and would have been nice to see him lead the under-21s as the main striker.”