London, Feb 29 (AFP) Leroy Sane ramped up his return from injury as the Manchester City winger played 57 minutes with the club's under-23 side on Friday.

Germany international Sane has not played since suffering a knee ligament injury in the Community Shield against Liverpool in August.

Sane, who was PFA Young Player of the Year in City's 2017-18 Premier League-winning campaign, returned to training last month.

The 24-year-old played his first match since on Friday as City's Elite Development Squad faced Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in Premier League 2.

Sane's return to the pitch is welcome news for City manager Pep Guardiola, who will hope his star can play a role in their bid for a successful end to the season.

"It is always nice to ease back and get a feel for the game," Guardiola had said of Sane before the game.

"It is incredible that first-team players can join in with academy games for recovery. It is good."

Sane, who was a transfer target for Bayern Munich before the injury, showed his relief at finally being able to play again when he tweeted after the match.

"Back on the pitch...and it felt great," he wrote alongside a picture of him in action. (AFP)

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