John Stones picked up an injury in Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Arsenal on Friday and was criticised by Pep Guardiola for not being ready. The 28-year-old appeared to pull his hamstring while defending before half time and had to be substituted.
Guardiola had little sympathy for Stones, however, believing the centre-back was to blame for not preparing better for the clash. As per the Metro, Pep told reporters after the FA Cup fourth-round win: “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.” Stones hasn’t had the best luck with injuries this season, missing eight games in all competitions due to fitness problems.
The England international had a hamstring injury in October that kept him out for a month and missed the odd game or two due to a knock, so he’s had issues throughout the campaign. Stones will have been looked at by City’s professionals, but it remains to be seen how long he’ll be out for.
City face Tottenham Hotspur on February 5, giving Stones a week to recover, but Guardiola has enough alternatives in his stead if he’s ruled out – Manuel Akanji would be first-choice while Ruben Dias is the last resort.
In other news, Stefan Ortega impresses in Arsenal win, vindicates faith after Southampton mistake
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