Pep Guardiola opens door to Joao Cancelo playing for Man City again and reveals he is ‘behaving really well’ in training – after bust-up saw tensions flare and set him on course for exit

Pep Guardiola has opened the door to Joao Cancelo returning to the Manchester City first team – around 20 months after a furious training ground bust-up set him on course to exit.

Cancelo has spent time on loan with Bayern Munich and Barcelona since falling out with Guardiola and their relationship deteriorated after the 2022 World Cup. 

‘He’s training with us. We will see, maybe stay, maybe go on loan. I don’t know yet,’ Guardiola told reports ahead of the opening Premier League weekend.

‘He’s behaving really well. He loves training and playing football. It can happen (he can play first team again).

‘In training, we say hi and talk and train. That’s all. About what’s going to happen here, it depends on his agents and the club. 

‘We’ll treat him like all the other players I have done when I’m here – with respect and try to take the best from the huge qualities he has. I never doubt the qualities he has.’ 

Guardiola also insisted there is a world in which Kalvin Phillips becomes a Manchester City regular. 

‘He has to have minutes and recover game time, play, play, play, play,’ he said.

‘We thought he would not have the minutes he deserves. Maybe in the future he will come back here, absolutely.’ 

More to follow.