Benjamin Mendy disciplined after arriving late for treatment following Anthony Joshua fight

The Frenchman was late for treatment at City’s training ground the morning after Joshua's victory against Alexander Povetkin

Pep Guardiola has read French international full-back Benjamin Mendy the riot act after he turned up late for treatment, hours after attending a world championship boxing bout in London.

The extrovert star, a hugely popular figure with City supporters, posted pictures of himself attending Anthony Joshua’s title fight at Wembley late on Saturday night.

But Mendy, who has missed City’s last four games with a bruised metatarsal in his foot, was late for treatment at City’s training ground the next morning.

That earned him a dressing down from Guardiola, who had already warned Mendy about his excessive profile on social media earlier this season.

It is Mendy’s fitness and professionalism that will be of more concern to the City manager, however, particularly after the defender missed most of last season with a cruciate knee injury.

In total, Mendy has played just 13 games for City since joining in a £52m move last summer and, with reports suggesting he was three hours late for training and treatment last Sunday, Guardiola has clearly made his feelings known.

“The players should be here and he knows it. I spoke with him,” said the City manager.

While conscious that traffic congestion has been a problem for a number of his players recently, Guardiola was in no mood to go lightly on Mendy, especially as there manager admitted he does not know when he will be fit

“He was injured six seven months last season,” said Guardiola. “Now he’s injured again. Every day he’s having treatment. I’m not a physio.

“He arrived late, that happens sometimes, in the last period a lot have arrived late because of the traffic. Manchester is under construction, the players arrive late. They have to drop their kids at school.

“I expect him back when he’s fit. Now he’s injured, he’s not a problem with physical condition, he’s quick. he’s injured and when he’s ok he’s coming back and when I decides he plays, he’s going to play.”

Another injured City star, Kevin De Bruyne, is making better progress from his knee injury and will return to some parts of the senior team’s training sessions next week.

Kevin De Bruyne will return to training next week (PA)

“He’s making the last steps, starting training in part in the next days,” said Guardiola. “Everything is going well.”

Guardiola, talking ahead of City’s home Premier League game with Brighton, refused to divulge whether promising young midfielder Phil Foden will start in the game after impressing on a rare start against Oxford in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

But he did insist that the young local product is very much in his thoughts.

“He needs to go step by step, don’t read too much, watch too much, train hard and his career will speak for himself,” said Guardiola.

“He has to make his own career. ti’s important to do it day after day, especially for the young players.

“It’s not important if he starts, a few minutes, he’s part of the group, it’s about my decisions, he’s ready to start in any competition, after that he has to compete with his team-mates and sometimes it is not possible but he’s ready.”

Foden is out of contract in 2020 although talks have opened over an extended deal and, while Guardiola is not directly involved in negotiations, he is optimistic they will end successfully.

“I didn’t speak about it,” he said. “But I think Phil would like to be here and the club, there is no doubt, and the manager – hopefully it will happen sooner or later but I’m not involved.”