After making 27 appearances in all competitions last term, our versatile Academy graduate has started and played the full 90 minutes in our opening three assignments this campaign.
This has seen him expertly play at right-back for the Blues in the absence of Kyle Walker, helping us to victories over Chelsea, Ipswich and the Irons - registering an assist in the latter.
And the boss believes the 19-year-old possesses special qualities on and off the ball, but stressed the importance of City’s squad depth when our schedule intensifies.
“Absolute, absolutely [he’s playing well]. Have you seen the minutes he played in the pocket? I said many times, Rico has one incredible ability that for many years, it was difficult to find,” he explained.
“Always he is free, always he is alone. When his mate has the ball. I don’t know what he does, but he’s free. You can pass the ball to him, and not just in positions where it’s comfortable, but in positions where the space is so tight, arriving in the third final.
“He is a good defender and can play in two or three positions. He’s playing good so he deserves to play. But every three days he cannot sustain that.
“We need Kyle [Walker] back, John [Stones] back, and all the players ready, because the schedule that comes from now on until the end of the season will be difficult.
“That’s what I said. Pre-season is over today. It’s over officially. The real season starts after the international break.
Our strong 3-1 win over West Ham in London represented our final league game before September’s international break.
Across the two-week pause in domestic action, England have selected Lewis, Jack Grealish, John Stones and Phil Foden for Nations League matches with the Republic of Ireland and Finland.
But Guardiola doesn’t anticipate Foden linking-up with his national team as he recovers from illness.
He added: “I don’t think so right now. I think he will not go [on international duty], but I don’t know, because he [Foden] doesn’t feel well otherwise he would be here.
“But like I said before, the international teams, they decide. He doesn’t feel good in his stomach, a little virus, but the people say he will be fine.”
Watch Guardiola‘s full press conference in the video player above!
