Joao Cancelo names Liverpool star as toughest opponent after accusing Pep Guardiola of 'telling lies'

Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo has named Mohamed Salah as his most difficult opponent during his time playing in England.

Cancelo, who is currently on loan from City at Barcelona, made the move to the Etihad in 2019 and has helped the Sky Blues to three Premier League titles during his time at the club. The full-back, capable of operating at both left and right-back, has faced off against Salah on several occasions and often found life tough against the Egyptian.

Recognising the challenges he has experienced when going head-to-head with the Reds' talisman, Cancelo has called Salah as the player who troubled him most in the Premier League. Speaking to A Bola, he said: “In England? Salah or [Christian] Pulisic. I will say Salah."

Stefan Bajcetic posts five-word message of intent with Liverpool return on the horizon

Anfield's incredible response as Sven-Goran Eriksson brought to tears before Liverpool legends match

Cancelo's loan move to Bayern Munich midway through last season came as a surprise to many, having become a key player in Pep Guardiola's team since signing for the Citizens, though stories later emerged claiming this was down to the Portuguese being a disruptive influence.

A second loan has followed for the 29-year-old this campaign, further reducing the likelihood of a way back into the first-team fold at City, and the ex-Juventus star has now taken aim at his parent club for being "ungrateful" towards him and misportraying the reasons behind his temporary moves away from Manchester.

"Lies were told," claimed Cancelo. "I've never been a bad team-mate for them, and you can ask either (Nathan) Ake or Rico (Lewis). I don't have any superiority or inferiority complex towards them, but that's the manager's