Centre-half "?Vincent Kompany faces a fight to break back into Manchester City's starting line up, according to manager Pep Guardiola.
"?The Citizens boss spoke to the assembled press ahead of City's home match against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Kompany is set to return from a five-month injury lay off in the coming weeks after undergoing surgery on his thigh in May.
Pep Guardiola refuses to grant Vincent Kompany instant City return from injury https://t.co/WVXo3M5wFF
However, the City captain faces competition from fellow centre backs Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones, as well as defender Aleksandar Kolarov, for a place in Guardiola's first-choice eleven.
And Guardiola insists that the Belgium international simply won't stroll back into his side, irrespective of his standing within the first-team squad.
The Spaniard said: "They have to compete with each other, and we'll see on the pitch what is the best for that game.
"That's the best way to arrive in April or May with a chance to to win titles.
"We need the players competing with each other. They have to know if they don't play good, there's another one beside me and the next time he's going to play.
"That's the only way to arrive at the end of the season "? fighting.
"I need Vincent, because I know his quality. I need him to put pressure on John Stones, Nico Otamendi, Kolarov - all of them."?
Guardiola also admitted that he only takes satisfaction from winning each game for "one or two hours" before he begins preparing for his side's next encounter.
City currently sit top of the embryonic Premier League standings, and thumped Borussia Monchengladbach 4-0 in their opening Champions League group stage match.
The former Barcelona and Bayern boss, though, doesn't allow himself to get carried away if his team puts in a good performance - and often finds himself worrying about City's next opponents within hours of previous games finishing.
He added: "When we win, after half-an-hour, one hour, maybe three or four, we are so, so happy, but then after we start to worry about the next one.
"Every game we can be better, every game there is a chance to improve.
"Any team can beat you - I feel that. I allow myself to satisfied for an hour or two hours after a game but the day after you worry about what's going to happen.
"Tomorrow (Saturday), at 3pm, we start again and what we did in the past is the past - there are no guarantees to play good or win the game. That's why this job is so beautiful."?
Join the conversation by following "?Tom Power on twitter!