Manchester City has been plagued by personnel issues throughout the current season, and today it was revealed that the team faces yet another significant loss.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City’s main central defender John Stones will miss 8 to 10 weeks due to an ankle injury sustained at the beginning of the second leg of the Champions League playoff round against Real Madrid.
According to the team’s head coach Pep Guardiola, Stones will not require surgery. However, the recovery period will be lengthy.
– No, he won’t need surgery. He can recover in 8-10 weeks without surgical intervention. And that’s important – stated Pep Guardiola.
🚨⚠️ “John Stones does not require surgery on his thigh injury”, says Pep Guardoola.
Stones will instead recover over the next 8-10 weeks. pic.twitter.com/GC58EI3iTU
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 26, 2025
Stones’ injury comes at a time when City are already dealing with the absence of another key defender, Manuel Akanji, who is expected to be out for a similar period due to an adductor injury that requires surgery. It also comes as bad news for England, with Stones now set to miss the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia, which will see newly-appointed head coach Thomas Tuchel make his debut on the touchline.
Stones will only be able to play in the concluding matches of the Premier League season, as well as help the team in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Read: 141 players in the Premier League is more productive than Manchester United’s giant investment
This season, Stones has played 20 matches across all competitions and scored 3 goals.
