Pep Guardiola has revealed Riyad Mahrez was drug-tested this week to clear up any uncertainty over medication he was administered while on international duty.
Manchester City boss Guardiola left Algeria forward Mahrez out of his squad for the Community Shield last weekend as a precaution in case he was called for testing at Wembley.
Mahrez, 28, underwent a minor procedure to aid his breathing after helping Algeria win the Africa Cup of Nations last month. City's medical staff did not have full details of all the treatment prior to Sunday's game and did not think he should be risked.
"Riyad has another (quality), so he's not a substitute for Leroy.
"My opinion during the first few games, the performance of Riyad, I was quite impressed. He didn't play too much because in his position was one of the best players in the league in Bernardo and of course Sterling.
"But with Leroy absent, we have more space and a lot of games, one less forward player, so he is going to play. The way they are training, I'll try to let everyone play."
