Crock Benjamin Mendy returns to training following latest knee injury after costing Man City over £35k a MINUTE

BENJAMIN MENDY is back at Manchester City ready to step up his recovery from knee surgery.

The France left-back, 25, has been undergoing his rehab in Barcelona but has returned to England and trained with his team-mates this week.

City will not rush Mendy back after an injury-hit spell during which he has had two serious knee problems since signing from Monaco for £49.3million in July 2017.

But he may be battling for a place in the team before next month’s international break.

Mendy will need to displace Oleksandr Zinchenko, 22, as left-back as the Ukraine star has just been handed a new contract.

But Mendy's main hope will be that his miserable fitness record at the Etihad -missing more than 90 games over the past two years - is  finally behind him.

When considering his £10.4m wages in that period, his total cost has been a whopping £2.6m per game.

Breaking that down into the 1,721 minutes he's played in 23 matches, Mendy clocks in at £35,000 PER MINUTE.

Meanwhile, just as Mendy returns, fellow knee-injury victim Leroy Sane is still being targeted by Bayerm Munich - even though the Germany winger's ACL anguish might keep him out for seven months.

City had turned down bids of up to £70m for the 23-year-old before he was crocked in the Community Shield clash with Liverpool two weeks ago.

Bundesliga champs Bayern are reportedly confident of landing the former Schalke winger after noting Sane's contract talks have spluttered.

Sane, who has 21 caps, could become Bayern's top-earner on around £400,000 a week if City do eventually agree to sell.

Etihad chief Pep Guardiola has said: "He has to decide. If he wants and there is an agreement, then it's good.

“But if he wants to leave, he can do it. We will be sad - hopefully he stays.”