Pep Guardiola has made light of a video featuring Jack Grealish and some of his Manchester City team-mates on a night out.
Footage of Grealish, the club’s record signing, apparently being refused entry to a Manchester city centre bar on Sunday night has emerged on social media.
In a short clip which also features fellow squad members Riyad Mahrez and Kyle Walker, Grealish is then led away by a colleague.
This comes after Grealish, 26, was disciplined along with team-mate Phil Foden in December for reporting for training in an unfit state following a night out.
On this occasion, however, it is understood the club are not concerned as no rules or curfews were broken. Manager Guardiola even joked about the issue at a press conference on Tuesday.
Guardiola said: “I’m so upset – because they didn’t invite me! I don’t like it. Hopefully next time they can invite me and do the dinner correctly at 8 o’clock.
“The video didn’t show exactly what happened – dinner together, sober, enjoying (time) with their mates and some of the backroom staff.
“The players know there is a risk when they go out today because of social media but all of them – Riyad, Kyle, Ally (Marland, staff), Jack were perfect. But they will be fined because they didn’t invite me!”
Asked if he was frustrated by how the video portrayed the players, who all started in Saturday’s FA Cup win over Fulham, Guardiola said: “In this case, yes.”
Guardiola has also played down any sense of urgency over a need to resolve his long-term future.
There have been reports the Spaniard is prepared to extend a contract that is due to expire at the end of next season.
Yet the 51-year-old, who has won eight major trophies in six years with City, insists there is no rush and the matter is not an immediate priority.
He said: “It is as good as this because we won a lot and are winning a lot, that is why it is good. Otherwise I would not be here after six seasons.
“After one, two, three, four, five years it depends on the results and the results were good, that is why we continue.
“Still I have one-and-a-half years’ contract. It is a lot of time in world football. We see how managers were sacked this season, not just in England but everywhere. That is why I am just thinking in the next game, the next period.”
City’s next game sees the Premier League leaders host Brentford on Wednesday.
Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus will again be missing with the injury sustained on international duty recently, but Guardiola has revealed the problem is not serious.
“Soon he will be ready,” he said. “I spoke with him this morning and he feels good but still is not perfect. He has a bit of a niggle, muscular. We just have to be careful, be alert.”
