Manchester City left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko has claimed that he is "so happy" to see Benjamin Mendy return to fitness after a knee problem.

Mendy has been on the sidelines since picking up a knee injury in May, with the France international undergoing surgery over the summer.

The left-back has struggled with a number of issues since joining City in 2017, but he has been named on the bench for tonight's Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk.

Mendy's return could ultimately see Zinchenko lose his spot in the starting XI, but the latter revealed his delight when questioned on the 25-year-old's recovery for Pep Guardiola's side.

"I'm so happy he is back, he lost so much time and everyone saw how much he worked on his recovery," Zinchenko told City's official website. "He's so important playing for us. It's a long season and [there are] lots of competitions so we need lots of players. I'm happy for him."

Mendy has contributed six assists in 23 appearances for the English champions in all competitions.