‘We want a left foot on left side’: Pep Guardiola bluntly explains why he DROPPED £100m star Jack Grealish to the bench for huge derby against fierce rivals Manchester United
- Jack Grealish has generally been first choice for Manchester City this campaign
- The gifted attacking midfielder signed from Aston Villa for £100m this summer
- But he has so far failed to hit the heights of last campaign at boyhood club Villa
- And City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed why he dropped Grealish on Satuday
- The Premier League champions travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United
Pep Guardiola has bluntly explained why he dropped £100million star Jack Grealish to the bench for the Manchester derby.
Reigning champions Manchester City travel to Old Trafford to face Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side on Saturday afternoon, but there was no room for Grealish in the starting line-up.
And the Spaniard revealed before the match why he relegated the summer signing from Aston Villa to the substitutes for the crucial clash.
Pep Guardiola has bluntly explained why he dropped Jack Grealish against Manchester United
He said: ‘We want a left foot on the left side, a right foot on the right side, basically that is the reason why (Grealish is on the bench).
‘This is not the first important game or derby game the players have played in their careers, nor the first time they are here.
‘But it is important to be emotionally stable. The players are professional, they like playing football for this type of game, it is normal.’
For City, Gabriel Jesus is likely to play on the right of a front three, with Phil Foden on the left and the recalled Kevin De Bruyne as a false nine, playing centrally.
Elsewhere, the rested Ruben Dias replaced the suspended Aymeric Laporte at centre half, while Kyle Walker was passed fit at right back.
Solskjaer, meanwhile, made three changes for the match, with Victor Lindelof replacing the injured Raphael Varane in a back three, Fred coming on for the suspended Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford dropping out for Mason Greenwood.
