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Rob DawsonCorrespondent
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said anyone who broke the news about the team before the games was “unethical and unprofessional”.
Aston Villa have launched an investigation following the news that midfielder Jack Grealish suffered an injury in training before the confrontation with Leicester City.
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Villa also demanded that their players stop playing fantasy football after some members of the team eliminated Grealish from their teams before the defeat against Leicester – seen as an indicator that the England international would miss.
Guardiola keeps his selections close to his chest, but the mayor said he would have a poor image of anyone who caught information.
“I know the players are playing these games, but I don’t know what fantastic football is,” Guardiola said. “I never played it and I heard it for the first time in the titles [on Monday]. I do not know what it is.
“Sometimes there’s a selection, and the players are friends with players from other teams and they talk. Sometimes it happens. It’s unethical and unprofessional, but it can happen.”
Guardiola spoke as he prepared his team for a draw in the round of 16 of the Champions League with Borussia Mönchengladbach on Wednesday. He has won the competition twice before, while leading Barcelona, but has never been beyond the quarter-finals for four years at City.
“Every time I went out, I was at a high level and so close,” Guardiola said. “We have to play well and the desire is there.
“After that, we see the second stage and then in the quarterfinals if we are good enough. We only have expectations.”
A remarkable winning streak of 18 matches propelled City to the top of the Premier League standings and raised the possibility of a quadruple if he can get the title, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League this season.
It would be an unprecedented feat in English football, but midfielder Ilkay Gundogan said the opportunity to make history is not in the minds of the players.
“There’s nothing I thought about until you mentioned it and nothing I’ll think about,” he said. “If it happens, I’ll take it.”