Grealish: I can still fit bill at City
MANCHESTER City ace Jack Grealish has revealed he has been playing through the pain barrier.
But the most expensive star in British football has warned his rivals that the best is still to come once he’s fit and firing again.
Grealish has struggled to make an impact since joining City from Aston Villa in a record €117m deal last year.
And to make matters worse he’s been limited to just six appearances in all competitions this season — due to a nagging groin problem that could still need surgery.
It remains to be seen if Grealish figures in Pep Guardiola’s plans on Sunday when Manchester City face bitter-rivals United in an explosive derby showdown at the Etihad.
But Grealish is convinced fans will get to see him destroy defences again once he is able to fire on all cylinders.
“I am definitely nowhere near 100 per cent at the moment,” said Grealish.
Improve
“I played 90 minutes against West Ham and 45 against Bournemouth, when I picked up my injury. So, I still have a lot of fitness to improve upon.
“But that will come over time. I just need to keep training to the best of my ability and then I’ll get chances on the pitch. And then you’ll see the best Jack Grealish.”
The England star has managed just one goal this season — scoring in the first minute of City’s last Premier League match, their 3-0 win at Wolves.
But he is not worried about numbers which have seen critics label him a waste of money.
The attacking midfielder added: “For me, it’s not all about goals and assists.
“They mean a lot for attacking players, but I just don’t think football is just about that.
“I hope that during the second season, I play more and perform better.
“That’s what I need to do, no one needs to tell me that myself.
“It takes a while to adapt to a Pep Guardiola team and his system — so I’m sure I will.”