Manchester City fullback Benjamin Mendy had his teammates in hysterics before victory at Chelsea on Saturday.

The injured left back is in Barcelona after surgery to repair a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, but he and Sergio Aguero both sent messages to the squad at Stamford Bridge, Mendy messaging from his hospital bed.

The Blues players have not revealed what the message said, but it is thought to have been a gentle mimicking of Pep Guardiola 's pre-match chat - and those who were quizzed about it after the 1-0 victory all burst out laughing, reports the Manchester Evening News.

“I didn't understand Benjamin's message because it was in English," said Ederson, although the way he was laughing uproariously suggests that he was being tactful.

“They are two players very important to us but it shows how strong the group is – everyone can go out to replace a teammate and everyone can go out and perform."