John Stones has impressed for England at the World Cup, helping the Three Lions keep three consecutive clean sheets, but he might not be guaranteed a starting place back at Manchester City due to Kyle Walker’s return from injury.
The 28-year-old was playing as a makeshift right-back under Pep Guardiola before the tournament in Qatar, but it’s hard to see him keeping his place if Walker is fit and available – the 32-year-old had been training for a couple of weeks and has since started England’s last two games.
Pep isn’t scared to put round pegs into square holes, but he would surely prefer Walker at right-back over Stones due to his greater athleticism and creativity.
Stones returning to a central role may not be guaranteed either as Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji have been preferred on the right-hand side – Nathan Ake and Aymeric Laporte will fight for a place on the left.
The 28-year-old has made 11 appearances in all competitions this season, missing a handful of games through injury in October while being rotated at times.
He had been a starting centre-back earlier in the campaign but moved to the right when Akanji became a regular fixture, so Stones might find himself out of the team despite doing well for England.
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