Guardiola hints at hard truths for John Stones as City weigh futurePep Guardiola rarely deals in absolutes, but his words on John Stones carried the weight of consequence. As reported by The Times, th...
Guardiola hints at hard truths for John Stones as City weigh future
Pep Guardiola rarely deals in absolutes, but his words on John Stones carried the weight of consequence. As reported by The Times, the Manchester City manager has acknowledged that Stones’s persistent injury issues will be central to any discussions over a new contract, a significant admission given the defender’s status at the club.
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Stones is not merely another senior professional. At 31, he is City’s longest serving player and the sole remaining figure from Guardiola’s first match in charge back in August 2016. Yet sentimentality has little place in elite squad management. Another injury ravaged season has left City confronting uncomfortable realities about durability, availability and planning.
Injury record shaping contract talks
After playing only 548 minutes across 11 league games last season, Stones has featured just seven times in the current Premier League campaign, totalling 353 minutes in what is the final year of his contract. His absence from Wednesday’s league fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion only underlined how fragile City’s defensive resources have become.
Guardiola was blunt. “What happened in the last two seasons will define the decision at the end of the season,” he said. “Right now, I don’t know when he will be back. I would like to know the answer but I don’t know.
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“He didn’t train with us. He didn’t make training sessions, so it’s not like, ‘I’m ready, now I’ll play.’ There are few players who can play after one or two training sessions and the other ones need a little bit longer. John is one of those cases.”
The implication is stark. Reliability now outweighs reputation.
Wider implications for club and country
Stones’s physical decline also resonates beyond the Etihad. His ongoing thigh problem has kept him sidelined since early December and will concern Thomas Tuchel, who has been without the defender in recent internationals.
City’s defensive injury list has been extensive. Josko Gvardiol requires surgery on a fractured leg, while Ruben Dias faces four to six weeks out with a hamstring injury. The absence of experienced bodies has exposed how fine the margins are when planning for multiple competitions.
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Squad depth tested across competitions
Guardiola has recalled Max Alleyne from loan at Watford, but will not bring back Manuel Akanji or Vitor Reis from their spells at Inter Milan and Girona. That leaves Abdukodir Khusanov, Nathan Ake and Alleyne as the only recognised centre backs available.
Academy options, including 17 year old Stephen Mfuni, may yet be required, with midfielders Rodri and Nico Gonzalez also considered as emergency solutions.
“We have the academy, we have Max, we have Stephen, we have Nico González who can adapt in that position,” Guardiola said. “We have some alternatives for this two months with a lot of games, a lot of important games in the Champions League and the Premier League, obviously. During the season this happens and we have to deal with that.”
For Stones, dealing with it may soon mean accepting that time, and his body, are catching up.
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Stones has been central to some of the club’s greatest modern moments, from title defining performances to his reinvention as a hybrid defender midfielder under Guardiola. Fans recognise the intelligence and bravery he brings when fit.
But availability has become impossible to ignore. Supporters talk about Stones with affection, yet also with a sense that every comeback feels temporary. In a squad built on relentless physical and tactical demands, uncertainty is costly. City fans understand why Guardiola must look forward rather than backward.
There is also trust in the process. If Guardiola suggests the last two seasons will define Stones’s future, supporters accept that judgement. City have evolved by being ruthless at the right moments, even with club legends. The belief remains that succession planning, whether through youth or recruitment, will protect standards.
Stones will always be remembered fondly at the Etihad. Whether that story is nearing its final chapter now feels less emotional, and more inevitable.
Category: General Sports
