Injury Crisis Rocks Man City Before Blockbuster Real Madrid Showdown
Manchester City have suffered a setback with an injury concern before their upcoming Champions League encounter against Real Madrid, as Pep Guardiola explained John Stones' absence from the weekend fixture.
City secured a commanding 3–0 victory over Sunderland to reduce Arsenal's advantage at the Premier League summit to merely two points, though Stones was notably absent from the squad selection.
The England international hasn't been a consistent starter in Premier League matches this campaign, with Guardiola usually opting to deploy Rúben Dias alongside Joško Gvardiol in central defense. However, Stones maintains a crucial squad position and has typically featured in Champions League fixtures.
Stones even wore the captain's armband for City during their loss to Bayer Leverkusen in the fifth matchday. Guardiola's team requires a favorable outcome in Madrid to bolster their chances of securing a top-eight league phase position. They are presently in ninth place.
Guardiola revealed following the Sunderland match that Stones' exclusion was due to fitness concerns. Nevertheless, the duration of his potential absence remains uncertain.
"To be honest, I don't know," the manager replied when questioned about a recovery timeline.
The Sunderland fixture marked just the second match Stones has missed this season due to injury, having previously been sidelined for September's Manchester derby.
The ex-Everton defender was unavailable for significant periods last season due to foot and hamstring problems, and hasn't completed a full campaign since the 2020–21 season.
Stones Considered Retiring Over Injury Frustration
Recently, Stones has repeatedly discussed his battles with the psychological impact of injuries, mentioning "dark periods" and thoughts of leaving football entirely.
"It's challenging when you're sidelined," he shared with reporters during the summer's FIFA Club World Cup.
"There have been moments where you wonder, you've been putting in all this work, you sacrifice everything in your life, particularly how I approach my lifestyle and football, I commit everything, both on and off the field to be present or prepared for matches and those are the difficult times."
More recently, in October, Stones revealed to BBC Radio 5 Live that he contemplated retirement.
"Last season was challenging for me, to the extent where I considered quitting," he stated. "I didn't want to [carry on]. I'd grown tired of being so dedicated and attempting to do everything correctly within my control, only to keep suffering setbacks without explanations. It was an extremely difficult situation.
"There reaches a moment where you can't understand why it occurs and it becomes even more difficult when you invest so much energy, or you maintain such high standards, to be able to perform and be available. When that moment arrives and something goes wrong, it would be simpler to say, 'Well, I didn't do this or that, that's the reason'—but when you do everything right, it becomes mentally taxing. Hopefully I won't return to that mindset."