Manchester City has suffered another injury blow during the international break, with England defender John Stones exiting Tuesday’s friendly against Belgium after just nine minutes.
Stones appeared to feel something as he played a pass and after attempting to play on for a few minutes, he was forced to come off the pitch.
The defender’s injury comes just days after Kyle Walker, his teammate for club and country, was injured in England’s friendly defeat to Brazil.
The timing for the injuries to Stones and Walker could hardly be worse, as Man City has a crucial Premier League match against Arsenal on Sunday.
🚨🔵 Southgate: “John Stones had to leave the pitch due to a problem with his adductor, more tests will follow”. pic.twitter.com/3ZHVxeJZMZ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 26, 2024
Pep Guardiola’s men go into the game at Etihad Stadium in third place, but just one point behind both Liverpool and Arsenal in the table.
Sky Sports has reported that Walker’s injury doesn’t appear to be too serious, with City hopeful he can pass a late fitness test to start against Arsenal.
Stones will have to be considered a bigger doubt, with his injury coming just five days before the match against Mikel Arteta’s side. The 29-year-old defender has been a regular for City this season, starting the club’s past four Premier League games.
Guardiola does have some serious depth at his disposal, with Rúben Dias, Nathan Aké, Manuel Akanji and Joško Gvardiol all options at center back.
[lawrence-related id=29340,27582,28329]