Grealish Excluded from Manchester City Asia Tour Amid Future Speculation
Injury cited for omission as player's contract nears final year, fueling transfer rumours.
Carla Rooney
Jack Grealish will not join Manchester City for their pre-season tour in Asia, a decision that has intensified speculation regarding his future at the club.
His exclusion follows social media posts from Mallorca, where he has remained since Monday, raising immediate questions about his future.
The club attributes his absence to an injury sustained during his loan spell with Everton last term, specifically a fractured foot in January 2024 that prematurely ended his time there.
Despite this official stance, Grealish has trained at Finch Farm and City's Etihad Campus this summer, fueling intense speculation of an imminent summer exit.
Grealish's future at City remains critically uncertain; expectations point to his departure from the Etihad as he enters the final year of his contract.
The composition of the tour squad reveals much about the club's current state, as new Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca finds himself without several senior stars due to World Cup commitments.
At the moment, he's here. He's a Man City player. I always said the same. In any club I join, I like to know if there are players that belong to the club. It's my duty to try to coach them.
Maresca has, however, expressed a clear desire to retain Grealish at the club, stating, "At the moment, he's here. He's a Man City player. I always said the same. In any club I join, I like to know if there are players that belong to the club. It's my duty to try to coach them."
Maresca further added, "Jack is here. I have a good relation with Jack since I left. Also, we keep in touch, and the reason why is because he has a big heart and he's a very good guy. So this is the reason why. And then we see what happens."
Jack is here. I have a good relation with Jack since I left. Also, we keep in touch, and the reason why is because he has a big heart and he's a very good guy.
Players eliminated in the last-32 of the World Cup, including Rayan Ait-Nouri, Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, Tijjani Reijnders, and Antoine Semenyo, will participate in all three matches.
Abdukodir Khusanov returned to pre-season training last week, the only City player eliminated in the World Cup group stage, yet senior stars involved in the World Cup final weekend will not return until days before the Community Shield against Arsenal.
This means several senior players will remain absent, directly impacting the squad's composition for the Asia tour, though Gianluigi Donnarumma and Phil Foden are confirmed as part of the travelling squad.
Several academy players, including Jeremy Monga, Kaden Braithwaite, Floyd Samba, Jaden Heskey, and Ryan McAidoo, join the squad.
Kalvin Phillips is expected to secure another loan move, indicating further shifts in the squad's midfield options and marking another temporary departure for the player.
Manchester City will face Inter Milan in Hong Kong, followed by matches against the K-League All-Stars and Atletico Madrid in South Korea, with the tour concluding with a second match against Atletico Madrid on August 9.