Jack Grealish and Phil Foden were dropped from the Manchester City squad for the game against Newcastle after they were pictured in a nightclub.
The England duo along with John Stones were the only changes to the side that thrashed Leeds in the previous game.
Stones came off the bench in the 70th minute, but Grealish and Foden were not used.
A picture of Grealish and Foden in a nightclub was published by the Telegraph and it is claimed that City were unhappy with the condition of the pair when they arrived for a recovery session the next day.
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The performance in the first-half of the game at Newcastle was the worst of the season, according to Manchester City managerPep Guardiola.
On Sunday, he said it was not rotation. I decided on this team because they deserved to play.
At Christmas time, I pay a lot of attention to the behavior of the players. They are not going to play if the off pitch is not good.
We have to be focused all the time because of Christmas time and everything that happens.
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Manchester City's win at Newcastle is free to watch.
Grealish scored just his third goal for City in the win over Leeds, but he was not present as City extended their lead at the top of the table, despite growing Covid-19 cases in the league.
Last month, Grealish was told to produce his best for the rest of the season, but also praised for the way he has settled in at Manchester City.
Foden was also in a picture posted on social media with a fan.
Despite their four goals against Eddie Howe's Magpies, the side was criticized by their coach.
"It was a good result but not a good one," he said. The first half was very poor. We weren't there. We didn't play in the right way.
We have an obligation to play at the highest level possible. I don't know why we don't play well.
Sky Sports News tried to contact Man City.
