Pep Guardiola wants Benjamin Mendy to reach full potential at Manchester City
Mendy is set to be named in a matchday squad for the first time since November when City travel for their EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Burton Albion
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Your support makes all the difference.Pep Guardiola has insisted he is not out to change Benjamin Mendy but he has warned the Manchester City left-back that he must focus in order to fulfill his potential.
Mendy is set to be named in a matchday squad for the first time since November when City travel for their EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Burton Albion on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old has been sidelined for more than two months with ligament damage to his left knee, having missed the majority of last season with a similar problem to his right.
Mendy has therefore made just 19 appearances since his £52million move in the summer of 2017, but his progress has also been hampered by concerns over his professionalism.
In September, Mendy attended an Anthony Joshua world title fight in London and reported three hours late for treatment on a foot injury in Manchester the next day.
The France international also remains an avid user of social media, despite Guardiola publicly telling him to "forget it a little bit" and focus on football.
City, meanwhile, are understood to be seeking greater competition for their first-choice left back, with Leicester City's Ben Chilwell targeted.
Guardiola insisted on Tuesday that he is "delighted" with Mendy's attitude and application in training, though he remains unable to convince his player to cut back on social media.
"I'm not unhappy about Mendy," Guardiola insisted. "I'm not here to change his mentality. His way, the way he is, it is what it is. When we bought him, we knew it.
"When we talk about the training sessions, being focused, always he's perfect. But he's active in the social media, he likes to be... it's what it is.
"We tried to convince him but I'm not his father," the City manager added.
Guardiola described Mendy's potential as "incredible" but believes the left-back must remain focused in order to become one of the world's best in his position.
"To have injuries can happen, but the way he trains, the way he is in the locker room, you cannot imagine how the people love him and like to be with him, in the team spirit and everything. I'm delighted.
"We can use him more, that's what I want. He just needs to be focused. Be focused in your job, in what you have to do, because you have incredible potential.
"You are young, you can be one of the best left backs but it depends on you. The other side, we cannot help you."
With City 9-0 up from the first leg a fortnight ago, Wednesday's trip to Burton gives Guardiola an opportunity to play those on the fringes of his starting line-up.
Nicolas Otamendi, for example, has started just 15 times for City this year, having been almost ever-present in last season's Premier League title-winning campaign.
Guardiola admitted on Tuesday that Otamendi is 'unhappy' with his amount of playing time, but only in the sense that any player left on the sidelines would be.
"When he plays he's happy, when he doesn't play he's not happy, but not just Otamendi, everybody. All of them. I don't know what I can do.
"I've said many times, the selection is the hardest part. I am honest, believe me. I am really honest in my job.
"You look at what happens, you know the players, sometimes players need some extra games for the confidence, sometimes not.
"There are many, many reasons in my selections. It's not just being naive or a naive selection."
Asked whether it is possible to keep such 'unhappy' players at the club, the City manager said: "We would like to but it depends on the players and the agents, I've said many times.
"I don't want sad players here. I said now, during the transfer window, if you are not happy you knock on Txiki's [Begiristain, City's director of football] door.
"We need to be enthusiastic and happy to be here and at the end of the season they have to reflect on that. The most important thing is to reflect.
"If maybe they don't play, when it doesn't happen they have to move, they have to leave. The only way to have success is to be happy in what you are doing.
"I know they are able to do it and I don't have any complaints about that."
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