Grealish and Phillips Omitted from Manchester City’s Asia Pre-Season Squad
Manchester City have left Jack Grealish and Kalvin Phillips out of the group travelling to Asia for pre-season. Jack Grealish will be keen for an opportunity to impress new manager Enzo Maresca, but he will not receive one for the time being.
The club announced its travelling party for the Asia leg of pre-season ahead of the upcoming campaign on 29 July 2026. Neither Grealish nor Kalvin Phillips were included in that roster, a decision confirmed in the report published on 2026-07-29. Enzo Maresca is the newly appointed manager under whom Grealish had been expected to stake a claim for playing time.
The omission of the two senior squad members means they will not take part in training sessions and fixtures scheduled during the Asia tour. Manchester City’s travelling contingent will therefore begin their preparation for the season without those two players present. The club’s published selection for the trip makes clear which personnel will represent the team overseas.
Jack Grealish had been linked with the need to make an impression under the new managerial regime, but that chance will not come during this specific set of pre-season activities. The report states that the opportunity Grealish seeks to showcase his qualities to Enzo Maresca will not arise for the time being. That establishes an immediate pause in any hopes Grealish may have had of using the Asia tour as a platform.
Kalvin Phillips was also left out of the travelling squad and will not board for the Asia fixtures. The decision places him among the players who will miss the overseas phase of Manchester City’s pre-season programme. The published roster confirms his absence from the touring party.
Enzo Maresca’s arrival as manager frames the context for both omissions, given the natural interest around how he will shape the squad. The selections announced for the Asia trip therefore reflect the club’s plans for this particular preparation period under Maresca’s stewardship. The report-making the squad public on 2026-07-29—serves as the definitive list for the overseas itinerary.
By leaving Grealish and Phillips behind, Manchester City have set the composition of their Asia pre-season group in a way that excludes two experienced first-team names. Both players will not take part in the tour’s matches or training sessions, and the club will proceed with the named travelling party. Further developments concerning their roles with the team will be determined after the tour concludes.