Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola insists he has lost confidence in Raheem Sterling.

Sterling was named among the substitutes once again for Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final win over Borussia Dortmund, having started just two of City's last eight games in all competitions.

Since City's derby defeat to Manchester United at the Etihad last month, Sterling has played second fiddle to the likes of Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez and is by no means guaranteed to start today's FA Cup semi final against Chelsea.

"[Sterling] was – maybe the second or third player with more minutes I played this season so the trust with Raheem is intact," the City manager insisted. “It is the same like we arrive here. Only played less because Gabriel [Jesus] sometimes, Phil, Riyad on top level. They are scoring goals and being so decisive in the final third.

“The confidence? He has to have it, he has it from all of us because the quality is there. I cannot give the players confidence, they have to have it for themselves. For me give confidence is to select. This is the opposite.

“Raz has a lot of experience, what we've done these incredible years, with us breaking I don't how many records. In the future these will be broken but Raheem was key and was a key player. But in that moment Phil is playing really good and Riyad is playing reallly good. That is the only reason why and they know it.

“Everyone plays a lot of minutes in this season. That is what I said every day, people talk about the past. In the last last eight games he play two, they talk about the quadruple. I couldn't care less.

“I care about today's training session and about how you behave, your understanding and your body language, mood and tomorrow against Chelsea in the semi final. That's where they have to talk. There is the place."