John Stones was substituted just eight minutes into England’s friendly against Belgium, a concerning development just days before Manchester City’s crucial title clash against Arsenal on Sunday, according to The Mirror.
Manchester City gets another injury scare
The match at Wembley began with high intensity, but Stones’ early injury grabbed the headlines as he seemed to sustain the knock while in possession and had to be replaced immediately.
The situation will undoubtedly worry everyone at the Etihad, particularly manager Pep Guardiola, who will be keen to have a fully fit squad for the upcoming match against Arsenal.
Stones isn’t the only City player affected during this international break. Kyle Walker also suffered a similar fate against Brazil, albeit lasting around 10 minutes longer.
Sports Buddy also reported in recent news that Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji faces uncertainty for the upcoming Premier League match against Arsenal this weekend following an injury sustained while on international duty with Switzerland.
The persistent threat of injuries poses a significant concern for City and casts doubt on the availability of all players.
Southgate addresses Walker injury situation
Following the weekend defeat, Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate addressed Walker’s injury. He said,
“He’s not had many injuries, so he himself isn’t sure whether it’s just tightness.
“I suspect if he’s feeling it, it’s a little bit more than that but we’ll know a bit more over the next 24 and 36 hours.”
Both Stones and Walker would be near-certainties to start for City against Mikel Arteta’s side if deemed fit enough.
