New Shanghai Shenhua coach Wu Jingui has slammed Carlos Tevez for being “overweight” and insisted the striker was not available for selection until his fitness improved.
“I won’t pick him right now. He’s not ready physically. He’s not fit to play,” Wu told reporters, as quoted by The Sun.
“He is overweight, along with [Fredy] Guarin. I have to take responsibility for the team and the players as well.
“If you are unable to do your utmost to play, there’s no point in picking you. I have coached lots of big stars, and my players are never picked on reputation”
Tevez recently returned to action after recovering from a calf injury but was booed by fans during Shenhua’s 2-1 defeat to Henan Jianye.
Shenhua have struggled in the Chinese Super League so far this season and are languishing in 11th place. The team replaced former coach Gus Poyet by caretaker Wu until the end of this season.