Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has insisted that he has no problem being told that he is not guaranteed a starting berth by manager Manuel Pellegrini.
The 29-year-old was left out of the lineup by the Chilean for his side's victories over Bournemouth and Sevilla, despite the Belgian having recovered from a calf injury that had sidelined him for a month.
However, Kompany returned to the team for their derby clash against Manchester United and helped them put in a solid display in their goalless draw at Old Trafford.
The Belgium international believes that the amount of quality his side have in the back four makes it inevitable that there will be rotation in the lineup.
"It's always been the case at City. There's been many defenders for that position since I've been there," Kompany told reporters.
"It's not just one season when there's been big signings and big players come in. It's necessary.
"Sometimes you get the best out of a team with that competition but that's true for every position, not just my position."
Kompany also denied that he had a problem with Pellegrini after failing to start following his return from injury.