Pep Guardiola unsure if James Trafford will stay at Manchester City next season

Pep Guardiola is uncertain if James Trafford will still be a Manchester City player next season.

The 23-year-old academy graduate looked set to become City’s first-choice goalkeeper when he rejoined the club for £27million from Burnley last summer and immediately replaced Ederson.

He started the first three Premier League games of the season but then lost his place after City opportunistically swooped for Gianluigi Donnarumma, who had fallen out with Paris St Germain, on transfer deadline day.

The European Under-21 Championship winner has since had to settle for four appearances in domestic cup competitions and one Champions League outing against Bayer Leverkusen when Guardiola made 10 changes.

Although he is set for another run-out in the first leg of City’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle at St James’ Park on Tuesday, it has so far not been a fairy tale return to City.

Guardiola says the player has handled the situation well but accepts he may want to rethink his future plans.

The City manager said: “He’s reacted really well. There’s been no complaints. James is a top keeper, there’s no doubt about that.

“I don’t feel bad but I understand the situation. The situation of the keeper is completely special, right? Because you play one or the other one.

“It’s not like some players you can play in different positions.

“What I say is we count on him, we want him but what’s going to happen at the end of the season we will see.”

City have ruled out any possibility that Trafford – who turned down Newcastle last summer – might leave the club on loan during the current transfer window.

Guardiola said: “I would like him to stay for many, many, many years here because he has attributes to play in a club like us, but the