143 days later, Aymeric Laporte returned to play with Manchester City. "I don't think he's ready to play 90 minutes, but it's good for him to play," Pep Guardiola said before the Premier League game against Sheffield United in Bramall Lane in which the French defender started with Otamendi and stepped on the field more than four months after his injury. The ‘sky-blue’ team ended up winning 0-1 thanks to Sergio Agüero's goal, but the best news was undoubtedly the return of the center-back after his long absence.

INJURY IN AUGUST

The former Athletic Bilbao player damaged the cartilage and meniscus of his right knee in the dispute of a ball with Adam Webster in the triumph (4-0) of the 'citizens' over Brighton on August 31, 2019. He underwent surgery in Barcelona and after four months of convalescence, the Frenchman returned to City’s sporting ground at the beginning of the year with his eyes on the knockout round of the Champions League against Real Madrid next February. The first leg will be held on the 26th at the Santiago Bernabéu.

"It's the first time he jumps to the field. He was with the team 10-15 minutes and trained individually. He feels good and in the next few weeks he will complete all the sessions with us," Pep Guardiola said after his recovery. And Laporte has already returned to play with the goal of 'solving' several of the defensive problems that Manchester City has had since that fateful day that marked the end of August.

VICTORY AND CLEANSHEET

Agüero, who already has 16 goals in the Premier League, one away from Jamie Vardy, broke the 0-0 in the 75th minute. The Argentinian solved a very complicated game for his team after Gabriel Jesús missed a penalty in the first half. But almost all eyes focused on Laporte, who completed 78 minutes without problems and actively collaborated so that his team ended the match without receiving goals.

"We missed him a lot," Pep Guardiola said after the match. “He has something we don't have in the squad. He is left-footed and plays as a left-sided central defender. He makes our build up quicker, not because the other ones can’t, but because he is the only left-footed central defender we have. For the way we want to play, he is so important. Apart from his character and mentality, he has all the attributes to be what he is. For me, when he is fit, he is the best left-sided center-back in the world,” continued the Catalan coach.

SURPRISING STARTER

Aymeric's return to the starting lineup was a surprise after joining back the team in early January. Pep Guardiola said that the presence of the Frenchman was very important in the configuration of the team and that he knew that the center was not yet able to play the 90 minutes. "We were able to play with five defenders and we have been more protected," said the coach.

“I spoke with him yesterday and he told me that he felt good but that he lacked rhythm. I commented that he would gain rhythm in the matches and not only in training. He can do everything we ask perfectly. He was protected with Oleks (Zinchenko), Nico (Otamendi) and Fernandinho close to him. There was less space to defend so he could do it and he did it really well. It's good news for everyone. Ayme has put seventy minutes on his legs and has taken the first step. I hope he can help us a lot in the final stretch of the season,” said Guardiola, happy to have recovered a key piece before the defining moments of the campaign.