Enzo Maresca has said that Nico O'Reilly needs to use the next few weeks to get back to full fitness after being left out of the England squad. The Manchester City star was not selected by Thomas Tuchel for their upcoming fixtures, with Phil Foden also omitted.
O'Reilly's struggles for starts
O'Reilly was named the best young player in the Premier League last season and started several games at the World Cup at left-back, but he has struggled for starts under Maresca. After pulling out of the Coventry game in the warm-up with a back issue in September, the 21-year-old has not started consecutive games since.
That appears to have influenced Tuchel's decision to leave the player out of England's latest games, but Maresca is not concerned about the development. What is important for the City manager is that O'Reilly returns to his best condition for their upcoming fixtures in the final weeks of the year.
Maresca's message on fitness
"With Nico, it's quite easy. Since we started the season, between his back before the Coventry game and some more problems unfortunately. He's not 100 per cent," he said.
"In the last game I really liked him, I thought he was playing a very good game and this is what we need. Just keep him fit and no doubt in the future that he will be back with the international team. [A rest is] what he needs, also to use that break to do the right things in terms of therapy and these kind of things and be 100 per cent after the international break."
