In the initial half of England’s Tuesday night friendly against Belgium at Wembley, John Stones had to exit the field due to an injury. Within the first ten minutes of the game, the defender made a few passes before being spotted holding his right leg. Manchester City faces a critical Premier League encounter against Arsenal on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola’s concerns mount as Kyle Walker was substituted during England’s loss to Brazil on Saturday, despite Walker’s injury not being deemed severe. The absence of Manuel Akanji from Switzerland’s match against Ireland, along with Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish missing international duty, raises significant concerns for City regarding their key players’ fitness. However, both De Bruyne and Grealish are expected to recover in time for the weekend. Stones’ potential absence due to injury would be a significant setback, given his importance to both City and the national team.
Before the Arsenal match, City’s players are slated to return to the club on Thursday, providing Guardiola with an opportunity to assess their condition. Erling Haaland disclosed Guardiola’s prior advice to players to manage their workload amidst a busy schedule, with a humorous warning that he would “come after them” if they got injured this week. Guardiola is likely to use this time to evaluate his team’s fitness ahead of the crucial encounter.
