Manchester City defender John Stones has been ruled out for up to a month, according to manager Pep Guardiola who has been speaking ahead of City’s Premier League fixture away to Tottenham Hotspur.
Stones, 28 has been City’s best defender so far this season and has arguably been the best defender in world football, with the England international combining defensive awareness and being strong aerially with composure with the ball, the ability to confidently carry possession forward to beat the opposition press, and a wide passing range that most midfielders would dream of possessing. Stones has the lot.
A worry for Guardiola and City fans however is the issue of Stones staying fit. The centre-back has already missed three weeks so far this season with a hamstring issue, and the injury Stones suffered against Arsenal in the FA Cup last Friday night seems to be the same hamstring issue.
Guardiola spoke about Stones’ condition after the Arsenal victory, the City manager had this to say: “Today he was not ready, I saw it in the first minutes, maybe he was tired, I don’t know, but he was not ready and that’s why when this happens you get injured.” Perhaps the City manager was being critical of his defender’s warm-up routine, if not it was a baffling decision by the City boss to select him.
With Stones injured for a minimum of three weeks, he will miss the first leg of City’s Champions League Round of 16 clash against German side RB Leipzig.