Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says Danilo deserves his place at right-back.

The manager has started Kyle Walker on the bench for City's last two league games as he went with Danilo.

“I think they know that already, but maybe you realise more on the bench," said the Catalan. “They know it.

“From the beginning of the season, we spoke about that. We can imagine a different starting XI and not everyone can play.

“When we don't win, it's always 'Why didn't we play this guy?' When we win, people don't think about the players who don't play. But the players who don't play know they have to be at a high level, because the other ones, if they're injured, they can play."

Guardiola claimed Brazilian Danilo earned his chance.

“There's no doubt about how important Kyle is for us, so we need him," he said. “We need the best Kyle.

“But one day I decided to put Danilo in and he played top, so I gave him more minutes because he also said he'd arrived here from Real Madrid and I'd never given him four or five games in a row.

“You can't judge a player when he plays once and then has three or four games beside me [on the bench]. The players need time.

“The winter time was so demanding, I decided to put Danilo in for a game and he played well. So I said I wanted him for one or two more games."