Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said that Kevin De Bruyne is not guaranteed a starting place when his side faces Chelsea tomorrow.

The Citizens have performed well without the Belgian in the middle of the park this season, with Bernardo Silva having taking up the mantle by putting in a string of top drawer displays in a more central role.

When asked whether De Bruyne could miss out against the Blues due to the other options available to him, Guardiola replied:

“Maybe yeah. it’s quite possible, everyone knows it’s possible or not possible. At the end, we judge the players for who they are but they are there to perform. There are times when teammates are in better condition, in football what you have done in the past – you have to do in future.”

It’s likely that the City boss is playing some mind games by placing a question mark over the 27-year-old’s selection.

De Bruyne was left out of the team that won 2-0 against Everton midweek but Guardiola was quick to point out that he wanted to give the midfielder a rest.

The odds are that the playmaker will be back in the starting eleven tomorrow when City face off against Maurizio Sarri’s side at the Etihad.