Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has backed Samir Nasri to enjoy a positive season with the club.

The French midfielder scored the winning goal for the Blues on Saturday as they earned a 1-0 victory over Melbourne City on their pre-season tour of Australia.

Nasri struggled for form last season, scoring just three times in 33 games, but Pellegrini expects him to play an important role for City next term.

"He didn't have a good season last season but I'm sure this [season] we will see again the Samir Nasri that we saw two seasons ago," the Chilean is quoted as saying by Sky Sports News.

Manchester City are back in pre-season action on Tuesday when they face Roma in Melbourne.