<p>Pep Guardiola is confident Aymeric Laporte is ready to play 90 minutes against Real Madrid on Wednesday even though the defender asked to be substituted during Saturday's 1-0 win at Leicester.</p>.<p>Laporte was replaced by Nicolas Otamendi after 57 minutes of Saturday's match, his third appearance since his return from a long lay-off with a knee injury.</p>.<p>Guardiola said there was no fresh injury problem for the Frenchman but the pace of Leicester's attack was a tough test for a player still rediscovering his rhythm.</p>.<p>"He asked me to be subbed," Guardiola said. "He's not injured. We cannot forget he has been out for four or five months injured. They run a lot, (Jamie) Vardy, Kelechi (Iheanacho), (Harvey) Barnes, they are all so fast.</p>.<p>"It was quite different against West Ham (on Wednesday), where there was only one striker so it was easier to control, but he's OK."</p>.<p>Asked if Laporte was ready to play the full match in the Champions League last-16 first-leg clash at the Bernabeu, Guardiola said: "Yes".</p>.<p>Laporte has made a gradual return to action from the knee injury suffered against Brighton on August 31.</p>.<p>He played 78 minutes against Sheffield United on January 21 but then did not appear again until Wednesday's 2-0 victory over West Ham, completing 65 minutes at the Etihad.</p>.<p>City have not conceded a goal while Laporte has been back in action and Guardiola will be keen to have his best defender on the pitch for as long as possible against Madrid.</p>
<p>Pep Guardiola is confident Aymeric Laporte is ready to play 90 minutes against Real Madrid on Wednesday even though the defender asked to be substituted during Saturday's 1-0 win at Leicester.</p>.<p>Laporte was replaced by Nicolas Otamendi after 57 minutes of Saturday's match, his third appearance since his return from a long lay-off with a knee injury.</p>.<p>Guardiola said there was no fresh injury problem for the Frenchman but the pace of Leicester's attack was a tough test for a player still rediscovering his rhythm.</p>.<p>"He asked me to be subbed," Guardiola said. "He's not injured. We cannot forget he has been out for four or five months injured. They run a lot, (Jamie) Vardy, Kelechi (Iheanacho), (Harvey) Barnes, they are all so fast.</p>.<p>"It was quite different against West Ham (on Wednesday), where there was only one striker so it was easier to control, but he's OK."</p>.<p>Asked if Laporte was ready to play the full match in the Champions League last-16 first-leg clash at the Bernabeu, Guardiola said: "Yes".</p>.<p>Laporte has made a gradual return to action from the knee injury suffered against Brighton on August 31.</p>.<p>He played 78 minutes against Sheffield United on January 21 but then did not appear again until Wednesday's 2-0 victory over West Ham, completing 65 minutes at the Etihad.</p>.<p>City have not conceded a goal while Laporte has been back in action and Guardiola will be keen to have his best defender on the pitch for as long as possible against Madrid.</p>