Paul Dickov has said that Jack Grealish could be a key figure for Manchester City in the final months of the season.
After suffering another injury setback during City’s FA Cup game against Luton Town, the Englishman was fit enough to start the Manchester club’s quarter-final FA Cup match against Newcastle United on the substitutes bench.
Prior to the game against Eddie Howe’s side, one pundit and former City player couldn’t contain his excitement at seeing the winger back in the squad.
Dickov backs Grealish for big City role
Speaking in a livestream on the club’s YouTube channel ahead of the Newcastle game, Dickov had this to say about Grealish.
He said: “There’s no way I don’t think he’d even be involved in the squad or on the bench if they didn’t feel he was fully fit after the setback he had against Luton.
“Delighted to see him back, you could see the emotion in his face when he came off injured, how gutted he was, he was devastated because he knew big games were coming up, the cup game, obviously Anfield where if Jack had been fit last Sunday I’m pretty sure he would have started the game because he starts all the big games away from home whether it be in the Premier League or the Champions League.
“But it’d be great today, he’s been left out of the England squad, so we can get a few minutes out of him today a couple of weeks rest and then I’m sure he’ll be flying for the back end of the season.
“It’s great to see him back, I love him. He’s a top player with a top mentality. I’ve had arguments with people all the time about Jack this season, they look at his stats and everything else but unless you watch City week in, week out, you don’t see what he brings to the team. He brings the team a different dimension that no one else in the squad can bring.
“People forget he was out earlier in the season with an injury, then he had an illness where he was out for three or four weeks and now he’s had this as well so it has been stop-start but the one thing I can say is if we get a fit, fighting Jack Grealish for the back end of the season he’s going to be a huge asset to us.”
This season has seen the 28-year-old start 20 of the 27 games he’s featured in across all competitions.
Bearing in mind how Grealish was a very prominent figure for City towards the end of their previous campaign and was in the starting XI for the FA Cup final and the Champions League final, it’s easy to see why Dickov thinks he could be just as prominent this time around if he’s able to stay fit.
With City still competing domestically and in Europe, it’d be safe to assume that the England international would be desperate to get back in the team and play regularly again.