Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling has been cleared to play in the Champions League last-16 tie against Real Madrid on Wednesday. Manager Pep Guardiola confirmed the news at his media conference ahead of the game at the Bernabeu. The England forward has been out since suffering a hamstring injury in the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham on February 2 but is in line to return in Spain. Guardiola said: “Raheem is fit. His physical condition and regeneration is amazing. He said he could have played against West Ham and Leicester but the doctor said it was too soon. But that was a good sign.”

Winger Leroy Sane is unavailable as he recovers from a long-term knee problem. On the other side, Real forward Eden Hazard could miss the rest of the season with a fractured ankle. Guardiola has challenged his players to “fight until the end” and gain their first-ever Champions League victory over Real, a side who have won the tournament in four of the past six seasons. “This is the real test. The kings of this competition against one team who aren’t used to playing these kind of games much, as our best performance was one semi-final,” said Guardiola. The meeting with Madrid is City’s first Champions League game since they were handed a two-year ban from European football by UEFA for breaking Financial Fair Play regulations. The Premier League champions are appealing against the sanction and Guardiola does not believe this season will be the last chance for the current side to win the Champions League. “No way,” he said. “These players will have many chances to win. We know the challenge…but it’s not the last one.” On the ban, Guardiola added: “We were under suspicion for a long time but we have the right to appeal. I trust the people in the club. They showed me the arguments and we are optimistic. If it doesn’t happen we have to accept it.”