Manchester City full-back Benjamin Mendy has stressed that he understood why the Citizens did not take any chances with his fitness towards the end of the season.

The Premier League champions paid big money to sign the full-back from Monaco last summer, but after just five appearances the Frenchman suffered a serious knee injury and was out for several months.




Mendy returned to fitness towards the end of the season and made just three league appearances from the bench, but it was good enough for him to make the France squad for the World Cup.

The defender conceded at some point towards the end he felt frustrated as he was not playing despite being fit, however he was aware that Manchester City were trying to ease him back into action.
 


He understood that after such a lengthy injury layoff, the club were not keen to take any more chances with his fitness.  

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Asked if he spoke to Pep Guardiola about playing more towards the end of the season, Mendy told French sports daily L’Equipe: “I spoke to him and inevitable there were moments where I cracked.

“But I was thinking of the moments when I was in the hospital bed and the way I worked.

“The City squad are great and I was not going to complain as I understood that it was more of a precaution on the part of the club.

“I respected that.”

Mendy will be hoping to have a good World Cup before returning to Manchester City for the summer ahead of the new season, where he will be looking to make a fresh start at the Etihad.