Rodgers aware of Grealish rumours

BRENDAN Rodgers was aware of the rumours that Jack Grealish would not feature for Aston Villa against Leicester City, but still had to prepare as if he would play, writes Jordan Blackwell.

Villa skipper Grealish missed Sunday’s match through injury, with talk of his potential absence spreading through social media on Friday.

That prompted Villa boss Dean Smith to say after the game he would reprimand whoever was the source of the leak.

The rumours gathered pace when several Villa players and staff members were found to have dropped Grealish, from their fantasy football teams, and the West Midlands club have now banned their stars from playing it.

It was the first time in 49 Premier League games that Grealish had not been in the Villa team and certainly made life easier for City, who ran out 2-1 winners thanks to first half goals from James Maddison and Harvey Barnes.

Although Rodgers said he knew the Grealish news, he could not be certain of it and so it did not affect his preparations.

“We always have to prepare that he was going to play,” the City boss said in his post-match press conference.

“I’d heard maybe 24 hours before that there was a doubt but you can never always believe things, the rumours that go around, so we have to be aware and think that he is going to play.”

Smith was not happy that the news broke out of the camp, as he believed it may have benefitted City.

“I was made aware that it came out on social media outlining he wasn’t going to play and, if it’s coming out of our training ground, I will find out where that’s coming from and reprimand who it’s coming from,” Smith said.”

“Yeah, it certainly does (give the opposition a leg-up) and it’s something I wouldn’t be happy with so we’ll certainly get to the bottom of this.”