John Stones picked up his latest injury in Manchester City’s FA Cup win over Arsenal in late-January and was ruled out for up to a month. Pep Guardiola criticised the 28-year-old for ‘not being ready’ physically, however, suggesting Stones has preventative steps to take as he’s susceptible to injury.
The England international has made 213 appearances in all competitions for City and is Guardiola’s most-played centre-back, but he hasn’t managed more than 27 Premier League appearances in one season due to constant injury problems – Stones has missed 113 league outings in seven years.
Stones joined City in 2016 and made 27/38 league appearances (71%) in his debut season, missing two games in November with an unspecified knock and five games near the end of the season with a more serious problem.
The 28-year-old made just 18/38 league appearances (47%) in 2017/18, missing eight games in November and December due to a hamstring injury. He missed a couple of matches at the turn of the year with a knee injury and then another five in April with an abductor muscle tear.
In 2018/19, Stones made 24/38 league appearances (63%), missing two games in February and March with a groin strain while being an unused substitute 10 other times.
In 2019/20, the England international made 16/38 league appearances (42%), missing six games early into the season with a muscle problem, missing five games in December and January with a knock, and missing a game or two near the end of the campaign due to a foot injury and ankle problem.
In 2020/21, Stones made 22/38 league appearances (58%) but all his missed games saw him as an unused substitute.
In 2021/22, he made only 14/38 league appearances (37%), being an unused substitute 13 times. He missed three games in December and January due to injury and missed five games in April and May with a niggle.
This season, Stones has made 14/20 league appearances (70%), missing three games in October due to a hamstring injury while being ruled out for five more matches with the same issue. Guardiola loves the 28-year-old but hasn’t been able to rely on him for an entire season.
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