Joe Hart faces axe for Manchester City in first game as Pep Guardiola favours reserve Willy Caballero

JOE HART faces the axe in today’s Premier League opener against Sunderland.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been considering dropping the England keeper in his first game in charge at the Etihad Stadium.

And it will be a massive first statement from the Spaniard after barely seeing Hart in pre-season but losing faith in him.

Hart missed most of City's pre-season matches after being given time off after Euro 2016, where he struggled during a disastrous campaign.

Guardiola has been linked with Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and admitted on the eve of the game that Hart needs to work on playing with the ball at his feet.

He added: “Joe has quality and he can do that... with time. I'm not saying he's not able to do it.

“Maybe there are other goalkeepers with more quality of that. But with training Joe can do it, absolutely. With time. But his time is now - it's not about what happens in six months, seven months. Now he is a player for us.”

And while Guardiola had said Hart would start the season as number one, it appears he has had a last minute change of heart.

Former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola favours his goalkeepers playing out from the back and has made Hart do extra training with outfield players on top of his own regime in a bid to get better.