Pep Guardiola Says Aymeric Laporte Is 'OK' Ahead of Real Madrid UCL 1st Leg

Manchester City can expect to have key centre-back Aymeric Laporte fully fit and raring to go for the first leg against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.

City chief Pep Guardiola substituted Laporte three minutes before the hour mark during Saturday's 1-0 win away to Leicester City in the Premier League. The change sparked some concern about the fitness of a defender who missed around five months with a knee injury earlier this season.

However, Guardiola revealed the decision to sub Laporte for Nicolas Otamendi was merely a precautionary measure, one dictated by the player himself, per Press Association (h/t MailOnline): 

"He asked me to be subbed. 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. 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."

When asked directly whether Laporte would be able to complete the match at the Santiago Bernabeu, Guardiola offered an emphatic "yes" in response.

Laporte's availability could well be the single most important factor in determining whether City can overcome the 13-time winners. The former Athletic Bilbao star is the best natural defender in Guardiola's squad, with the 25-year-old aggressive in the air, quick across the deck and competent in possession.

City's attempt to win a third-straight domestic title crumbled during his absence. A threadbare back line featuring mistake-prone duo Otamendi and John Stones, along with converted midfielder Fernandinho, was found wanting.

Laporte returned for the 1-0 win over Sheffield United on January 21. He played 78 minutes at Bramall Lane and has appeared in two league games since, including Saturday against the Foxes.

Significantly, City have kept three clean sheets with Laporte in the lineup. He's restored the secure base the Citizens need to afford greater freedom to artful playmakers Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Ilkay Gundogan.

City have steadied the ship at the ideal time ahead of facing a Real team in a state of flux. Poor results have been logged in back-to-back games in La Liga, with a 2-2 draw at home to struggling Celta Vigo preceding Saturday's 1-0 loss away to Levante.

Those dropped points have seen Los Blancos relinquish top spot to rivals Barcelona. The defeat in Levante also came at a further cost, with winger Eden Hazard leaving the pitch after fracturing his ankle.

Hazard has already been ruled out for Wednesday:

His absence should make a Real forward line overly reliant on prolific No. 9 Karim Benzema easier to defend. Gareth Bale has found consistency and regular starts hard to come by, and the Welshman was sent home from training this week while suffering a bout of gastroenteritis, per MailOnline's Oli Gamp.

Isco and James Rodriguez are options, but the latter hasn't started a league game since October 19. Meanwhile, Rodrygo has been left out of the last three matchday squads, omissions Zinedine Zidane explained to the 19-year-old Brazilian, according to Mario Cortegana of AS.

Los Merengues are depleted in forward areas, but Zidane has proved he can find solutions in Europe before. He lifted this trophy three seasons in a row as manager during his first tenure in charge.

It's the kind of record City and Guardiola can only dream of emulating after failing to get past the quarter-final in each of the last three seasons. The club is under greater pressure to produce at this level after being hit with a UEFA-imposed ban from the tournament for the next two seasons because of financial fair play irregularities.

Laporte played down the impact of the ban on the mentality of the squad following Wednesday's 2-0 win over West Ham United, per BBC Sport: "We are professionals, a big team with big personalities in the dressing room, and I think we just think about football, nothing else. We are professionals and have to do our job. That's all."

More than any sense of desperation or defiance regarding events off the pitch, Laporte's fitness will be the catalyst for how far City will go in the Champions League.