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Manchester City will be without John Stones for their match against Chelsea this weekend.
The Citizens will visit Stamford Bridge for a Premier League encounter on Sunday, November 12. They will take on a Blues team that will enter this game on the back of a 4-1 win away to Tottenham Hotspur on Matchday 11.
Speaking ahead of the contest, City boss Pep Guardiola confirmed that Stones will be unavailable for the game. The Englishman sustained a muscle injury during his side's 3-0 win over Young Boys in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday (Nov. 8). He started the match, but was replaced by Nathan Ake at half-time.
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Guardiola said during his pre-match press conference on Friday, Nov. 10 (as quoted by Manchester City's official website):
“He is injured. He is not ready for tomorrow and we will see after international break.”
More worryingly, the Spanish tactician added that Stones could miss their first match after the upcoming international break against title challengers Liverpool on Nov. 25.
“I don’t know (whether he will be ready) for Liverpool. The doctor says it's not as bad (as first thought), but still I don’t know. When he is going to be fit again, he will be back,” Guardiola said.
He stated that Manuel Akanji, who was initially named as a starter against Young Boys but was forced to withdraw, is fit for the trip to Chelsea. Guardiola also provided a positive update on Kevin De Bruyne, indicating that the Belgian maestro could return in a few weeks.
De Bruyne has not featured for Manchester City since their Premier League opener, a 3-0 win away to Burnley. He started that game, but was replaced by Mateo Kovacic in the 23rd minute with an injury, which tests later revealed to be a tear in his hamstring.
Manchester City's John Stones has impressed when fit, but struggled with injuries over the last two seasons
Last season, John Stones was a key cog in the Manchester City team that secured the treble. Pep Guardiola experimented with his position, effectively deploying him as a midfielder to help them create overloads in the middle third.
The move worked wonders, with Stones quickly adapting to his new role. He also scored thrice and assisted three more goals in those games, his best return in a season with respect to total goal contributions since he joined City in 2016.
However, his playing time was limited by a hamstring injury that saw him make just 23 Premier League appearances and 34 across competitions.
The 29-year-old has been limited by injuries once again this season, and has played just six games across competitions. Prior to his latest muscle issue, Stones missed Manchester City's first seven Premier League matches with a hip injury.
City will hope to have him back to full fitness soon, though Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake can all operate at centre-back in his absence.
