Maresca backs injury-hit O'Reilly to return after England squad omission

Enzo Maresca has urged Nico O’Reilly to use the international break to reach full fitness after the Manchester City midfielder was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad. Phil Foden was also omitted from the call-up.

O’Reilly, 21, has been managing a back injury that first flared up before City’s Coventry fixture in September, and has not started consecutive games since. Maresca acknowledged the issue has limited the player’s availability this season but expressed confidence in his eventual return to the international setup.

“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,” Maresca 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.”

Maresca added that the rest period should be used productively: “What he needs is 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.”

O’Reilly had been one of the standout performers in the Premier League last season, winning the division’s best young player award, and featured at left-back during the World Cup. His inability to string together consistent starts this term appears to have been the primary factor behind Tuchel’s decision to leave him out.