Among the most grating aspects of the new season for The Fantasy Football Manager has been the absence of Leroy Sané from the Manchester City first XI.
Given that Sané was outrageously good last season - he won the PFA Young Player of the Year award - and the fact he missed out on the World Cup, it was assumed that Sané would make a fast start to the season given that many of his teammates went deep into the World Cup.
That hasn't happened, and Sané has yet to start a game this season. The German was left out of the starting line-up for today's Premier League game with Wolves, too, and Pep Guardiola has explained Sané's continued absence to Goal.com.
We have six excellent strikers and not all of them can play. It is not about he is not playing because we are unhappy with his performance, it's because we have to choose and 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.
So consider that for a moment: Guardiola can afford to drop a player who scored 10 goals and created another 15 last season as he feels that there is enough attacking impetus provided by his left-back.
With Mendy overlapping wide, Raheem Sterling - who spent much of last season on the right-hand side - is playing today on the left, but is consistently drifting inside. Mendy's influence - and the potency of his crossing - out wide was evidenced last weekend against Huddersfield, and it allowed City to break down more easily massed defences sitting deep.
Hence why Sané is on the bench.
But hey, not a bad option to spring from the bench.
[Goal.com]
