Lee Carsley insists Pep Guardiola is ‘speaking garbage’ over Jack Grealish call-up

Lee Carsley insists Pep Guardiola is talking rubbish when it comes to England and Manchester City superstar Jack Grealish.

Guardiola was left seething after interim England boss Carsley named Grealish in his latest squad for Nations League games with Greece and Republic of Ireland.

Grealish has been sidelined for almost a month with an unspecified injury, and only returned to light training towards the end of last week. Guardiola claimed Carsley had not spoken to him about the fitness of Grealish – and was left less than impressed.

But Carsley has hit back at the Spaniard – and told him the England medical team spoke to their counterparts at City about Grealish. Carsley said: “So the medical teams are constantly talking throughout squad selection, regardless of whether there are games or not.

“We are constantly getting updates. The medical departments have brilliant communication between club and country. It was always the case we were going to get the players who were potentially going to miss out in to the assessed.

“Jack was one of them. He was assessed and sent back – and it was as clear as that.” Carsley has seen eight stars withdraw injured, but insists he is more concerned with those available to him for Thursday’s must win showdown with Greece in Athens.

He added: “It’s such an achievement, first and foremost, to get in to the squad and then to get on to the pitch. To start a game should be seen as a real privilege and an honour.

“From the outside it probably feels as though there have been a lot of pull-outs, but our focus has been on the ones who are here and are in the building. The ones that we have called in.

“There is a real excitement and buzz around the squad, and I don’t get the feeling it’s been diluted too much. The ones that have been called up more than deserve to be here.”