(Reuters) – Manchester City playmaker Jack Grealish said he is “nowhere near” full fitness as he continues his recovery from a groin injury but is confident fans will see the best of him when he returns to the side.
Grealish picked up the problem in August and has been limited to six appearances in all competitions this season.
“I am definitely nowhere near 100% at the moment,” Grealish told City’s website.
“I played 90 minutes against West Ham United 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 be the best of my ability and then I’ll get chances on the pitch. And then you’ll see the best Jack Grealish.”
Grealish, who joined City from Aston Villa in August last year for a league-record fee of 100 million pounds ($107.98 million), has scored only one goal this season but the England international is not worried about his numbers.
“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,” he said.
“I hoped 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 am sure I will.”
($1 = 0.9261 pounds)
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
