Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says he cannot afford to drop Bernardo Silva.

The 27-year-old, who slipped down the pecking order last term, wanted to leave the club in the summer but no move materialised.

Circumstances then offered Silva a way back into the team in the early weeks of the campaign and he has fully seized the opportunity, impressing in various guises in Guardiola's fluid attack.

Guardiola said: “Right now he's undroppable because of what he is doing on the pitch. Sometimes Bernardo didn't play in the last (two) seasons because he was not undroppable, because he was not on the level.

“But the year we won 98 points in the league, he was the best – and I think it's coming back.

“What he has done this season – it is difficult to find in Europe, in the world, a player like him right now.

“I have the feeling now he is happy here, with his personal life and hopefully he can have an exceptional season with us again.

“He can play in six positions. He can play holding midfielder, attacking midfielder, winger, striker, false nine and the other winger.

“He can play everywhere because he is so smart, so intuitive, so intelligent.