Iheanacho is still part of City’s squad – Guardiola

Kelechi Iheanacho will not be leaving Manchester City this month, so says Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

With only a couple of days left of the January transfer window, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is prepared player exits, but says Kelechi Iheanacho will not be one of those.

Iheanacho has failed to make City’s matchday squads in the games since new arrival Gabriel Jesus has been ready – against Tottenham and Crystal Palace – and there are concerns he may not have a future at the Etihad Stadium.

A development Guardiola has warned the Nigerian he must face, given the numbers they have in attack.“But of course Kelechi is part of the squad,” Guardiola said.

“We have seven strikers, three in the middle, four or five wide.

“Normally we play two or three. I don’t know how many others play. We play five or six offensive players and thanks to that we create a lot of chances.

“That is the case if you analyse the games against Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea and United at the beginning of the season, and especially in the first half of the season.

“In the second half we created much, much more than our opponents but we didn’t create the kind of chances for this kind of player.

“Jesus and Nolito are young strikers, Gabriel, Rash and Kelechi, they are so, so young strikers and they will be the future. They have to adapt.

“Rash is only playing in the Champions League for the second time in his life and fighting to win the title so of course we give them time.

“Of course we evaluate how they do in the games and the training sessions.

“At the end I try to be fair based on what I have seen in performances.

“Of course I have to evaluate it based on what I see on the grass.

“It is a case for all the players here – for the strikers, the wingers, the centre-backs, the full backs and the goalkeepers, all of them.

“When they don’t play, they have to win my confidence in them.”