PEP GUARDIOLA says club captain Vincent Kompany can still play a part in his Manchester City revolution.
The Belgium international has seen another campaign wrecked by injury and has completed 90 minutes just once in the Premier League.
City are certain to make a new centre-half their top priority this summer – with Leonardo Bonucci and Joshua Kimmich both on the hit-list.
However, Kompany still has more than two years left on his deal at the Etihad – and Pep wants to give him every chance to see them out.
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Asked if he can play a part next season, Guardiola said: “Yes, he has a contract.”
Kompany impressed during the 2-1 defeat at Chelsea last week but was then back on the bench for the game against Hull three days later.
He will be back in the squad for the trip to Southampton on Saturday though.
Guardiola still believes Kompany can return to the stage where two games a week is possible, saying: "He can do that hopefully in the next period, in the future. He can do that.
"But after the game against Chelsea he reacted to that, had problems with the leg, and we didn’t want to take a risk.
"But of course the good news was he could play 90 minutes, a tough game at Stamford Bridge and he played at a high, high level.
"What we have seen these two or three days, he’s ready for the next game."
Guardiola would not be drawn on reports linking City with Arsenal superstar Alexis Sanchez - although he refused to deny an interest.
He said: "It is not time to talk about that, about the players who are going to stay here, the hypothetical players who are coming here next season.
"It is not time. We have a lot of business to do."
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