I noticed the Pep Guardiola decision in Manchester City win v Chelsea that should worry Jack Grealish

Between two press conferences on Friday and Sunday, either side of the opening-weekend win over Chelsea, Pep Guardiola was asked about the fitness of Oscar Bobb, Savinho and Phil Foden.

Bobb’s injury was obviously a significant talking point ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge after he suffered a fractured leg during the week, Foden’s involvement was in question given his late return to pre-season, while Savinho picked up a minor knee injury in Sunday’s game.

But Guardiola wasn’t asked a single question about Jack Grealish’s availability, a surprise given the former Aston Villa man was the only injury uncertainty in the build-up to Sunday’s game.

Grealish sat out the Community Shield win over Manchester United after he picked up a minor knock, and was an unused substitute against Chelsea. In his place, Savinho and Jeremy Doku started in the wide areas.

Interestingly, Guardiola opted to deploy the right-footed Doku on the right and the left-footed Savinho on the other flank. It was an unusual selection with most Premier League managers preferring to deploy their wingers on the opposite sides, enabling them to cut inside.

But it’s an approach that Guardiola evidently thinks has its advantages, and he referenced Savinho’s crossing ability after the Community Shield, and how it could benefit Erling Haaland. 

“Playing on both sides, playing on the left he has incredible quality, attack the byline,” said the City boss. “After he is really good in the crosses. 

“The first and second post when he plays he will help Erling to score goals. Look at the goal we scored, byline and cross. When you have the ability to arrive in that positions and good crosses.”

Selecting wingers on the side same as their strong foot does pose Grealish a problem, however, given he has almost exclusively played from from the left since his £100m move to City and habitually looks to drift inside.

While Guardiola did ultimately swap his wingers after 15 minutes and deplyed Doku on the left and Savinho on the right, his atypical starting set-up demonstrates it’s an tactical tweak he is considering and might utilise again. That’s bad news for Grealish.

So were the lack of questions surrounding his omission on Sunday. Even after a summer where City’s no.10 impressed in pre-season, the prospect of him not playing against Chelsea was not newsworthy enough to cause any real intrigue.

Savinho’s knock could see Grealish come in to face Ipswich Town this weekend, but the advantage he held over his team-mates during the summer has already vanished. Doku, Savinho, Foden and Bernardo Silva all played on Sunday and, despite missing all the summer friendlies, may be more up to speed than City’s all-time record signing.

This was not the start to the new campaign that Grealish had hoped for, and he begins what feels like a make-or-break season on the back foot.