"No reason to rush" return, says Gundogan

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan says there is "no reason to rush" his return to competitive action following an eight-month lay-off.

The 26-year-old Germany midfielder came on for the final 19 minutes of City's 1-0 friendly defeat to Girona at Montilivi on Tuesday, his first appearance since he suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury against Watford in December. 

City face Everton at the Etihad Stadium on Monday 21 August and travel to the South Coast to take on Bournemouth five days later, but Gundogan says he is targeting a Premier League return after September's international break.

"I'm in a good way. I still know that it's a long way to go but I was out for eight months," Gundogan told City TV.

"There is no reason to rush now. When I feel good, when I feel ready, when I feel safe I'm ready to play and I'm ready to try.

"That's the target for the next weeks. There's an international break in the next two weeks so there's plenty of time to use that for training, maybe another one or two games if it's possible.

"Then, hopefully, after that break I will be ready to join the team fully. When the manager and my team-mates need me, I want to be there."

Gundogan, who also missed Euro 2016 due to a dislocated kneecap, says it a personal rather than a medical decision to hold off his first-team return until after the international break.

"I wouldn't say it's down to medical advice, it's more like a personal feeling to be honest," he said.

"I know now that my knee is safe and everything is good. Now it's more a mental thing, to join the lads in the games for a few minutes and then to come out and do some treatment afterwards, cooling, all that stuff.

"That's my target. I will enjoy every single minute that I get. Whether it's in a friendly or the Premier League I want to be ready.

"It's difficult to say this game or that time. It's just a feeling in the training sessions over the next weeks and then, hopefully, I'm going to be ready soon."

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City host Liverpool in their first game after the international break, on 9 September.

Image: Getty Images/ Laurence Griffiths

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