Guardiola Demands Maturity From Benjamin Mendy

By Max Wise

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has tasked Benjamin Mendy to show more maturity as the French full-back prepares to make a return to first-team action following a two-month injury layoff.

Benjamin Mendy’s Manchester City career has been punctuated by a recurring knee injury that has restricted him to just 18 appearances for the Citizens since moving from French club Monaco for £52m in the summer of 2017.

The 24-year-old World Cup winner will get the chance to feature for Man City in their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Burton Albion, holding a massive 9-0 advantage from the first meeting.

Guardiola believes Mendy has the potential to become one of the best left-backs in the world but he wants the Frenchman to cut out his social media antics and focus more on his football.

With 1.12m followers on Twitter, Mendy is an active social media user and his crafty use of it is widely lauded but Guardiola is not entirely impressed.

"I am delighted with Benjamin," Guardiola told a news conference. "I am sad because we were not able to play him because of injuries but that sometimes happens.

"The way he is training, the way he is in the locker room... you cannot imagine how much the people love him. I am delighted – I just want to use him more! That's all.

"I am not unhappy with Mendy [using social media heavily]. I am not here to change his mentality. His way, the way he lives... is what it is. When we bought him, we knew it.

"So, when we are talking about training sessions, always it's perfect but he is active on social media. He likes to be. It is what it is.

"We try to convince him, but I'm not his father! [I tell him]: 'Be focused on your job and what we have to do. You are young, and you can be one of the best left-backs, but it's up to you."

Mendy has provided five assists in the Premier League this season despite making just nine appearances.