Guardiola: No pressure on Kompany

Cape Town - Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola denied suggestions Vincent Kompany had recovered from his injury, adding they would not rush his return.

The Manchester City captain's name was included as a substitute ahead of their warmup match against Bayern Munich on Wednesday, resulting in speculation that he will be ready come the start of the new season. The inclusion has since been described as an administrative error.

In a press conference ahead of the Citizens' friendly against Manchester United at the Bird's Nest in Beijing, the 45-year-old ensured that the topic would get no further airtime.

"What happened with Vincent Kompany the last two years was so difficult for him and the team," he told reporters.

"The important thing is not when he's coming back, it's to be fit and ready to show he can play one week and one week more, that he can play regularly - especially that he can train every day. Then we will see again the best Vincent Kompany.

"The most important thing is not to be back as soon as possible. Forget about it. The most important thing is when the doctors and physios say he's fit.

"If it's Sunderland, perfect. Start of the Champions League, perfect. If not, September."

The Spaniard also went on to discuss the pitch at the Bird's Nest, expressing concern that heavy rainfall could have damaged it.

"We didn't see the pitch but the information we have is there could be a lot of rain in the last day so it's not in good condition," he said.

"We're going to adapt, adjust. It's the second game for our preparation. We're going to start to move forward like we talked in the beginning. That's the target.

"The most important thing is that people aren't going to be injured," he added.