Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji is well aware of the competition for places at the club.

The Citizens are blessed with five first team center backs who are starting material.

However, only two of them can play most games, given manager Pep Guardiola's preferred formation.

Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias, John Stones and Aymeric Laporte are the others who can play in Akanji's position.

"It's a good competition [for places]. Everyone wants to play," he said to reporters at the weekend.

"That is what we show in training and try to show in the game, and in the end it's the coach that picks the team and I would be really happy to stay in the team, but it's decided game by game and I have to keep working hard.

"Everyone wants to play in the team. We have some of the greatest players here in Europe right now. We are a really good team. And that is good for me that I have the competition because I know that if I play I know I have to show up."