MANCHESTER, England -- Leroy Sane is yet to start a game for Manchester City this season but Pep Guardiola insists the Germany international is ready if he needs him.
Last season's Premier League Young Player of the Year was one of the few City first-team players not to play at the World Cup after being surprisingly omitted from the Germany squad.
But despite returning to preseason training earlier than most of his teammates, the 22-year-old has appeared only as a second-half substitute in each of City's three games this season.
Sane started just one of City's six opening matches last season, with Guardiola saying he didn't have a good preseason. However, the City boss says he is in good shape now.
"In the past two weeks in training I've seen the Leroy that I know and we know. I am delighted about that," Guardiola told a news conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash at Wolves.
"You know about his performances in preseason. He arrived late and now he is getting back like Leroy is.
"We have six excellent strikers and not all of them can play. He is not playing [not] because we are unhappy with his performance. We have to choose, now Mendy is playing more wide. That is the reason why.
"He is ready with his physical condition. He doesn't need much time to get in better condition, it is not about that."
And Guardiola insisted the winger has already put his World Cup disappointment behind him.
"He came back and I think he forgot about it," he added. "I understand the disappointment of missing the World Cup -- for young players it is an important issue. But football and sport and life there is the next one and the next one.
"He came back, he was in the States and made preseason and stayed there and took a little bit more time to settle and now he is ready.
"He is not playing [not] because I am angry with him or do not trust his physical condition, quality, skills or what he can do for us or for himself."
Guardiola could bring him back for his first start this weekend after admitting his players are finding it hard to recuperate after matches following such a short break after the World Cup.
Kevin De Bruyne and Claudio Bravo have already been ruled out for lengthy periods with serious injuries while Brazil international midfielder Fernandinho is struggling to recover from last Sunday's victory over Huddersfield Town.
"The problem for us is we are not far away but we are still not fit," Guardiola said. "We see how much effort was spent by the players, normally the regeneration is quicker and they need more time because we didn't make a preseason.
"They arrived and immediately played the Community Shield and the Arsenal game. A few players are much better but we need more time to win power and strength, we need to train strength.
"This week we tried to do a lot of messages about strength and tactics because when there will be three games a week we will not have time to do that. Still, players complain about muscular problems. That's why Claudio is out and Kevin and this week Dinho had a few problems with regeneration after the game but that is normal -- we demand a lot.
"We are still not in the best condition, that's why we have to take points and hopefully after the international break we can be better and better."