During England's friendly match against Belgium at Wembley on Tuesday evening, Manchester City's John Stones suffered an injury scare just days ahead of Manchester City's huge Premier League clash with Arsenal. The defender was seen clutching his right leg after making a few passes in the first ten minutes of the game.
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Man City boss Pep Guardiola faces another setback as Kyle Walker was also injured during England's friendly with Brazil on Saturday. Additionally, center-back Manuel Akanji withdrew from Switzerland's squad due to a knock. As a result, Stones, Walker, and Akanji may be doubtful for the upcoming match against their title rivals at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
In his post-match press conference, England manager Gareth Southgate was asked if he regretted starting Stones, who had played the full 90 minutes of England's defeat to Brazil on Saturday.
"The first game wasn't a game which was a high level in terms of intensity. We've done exactly what Holland did with Virgil van Dijk and Nathan Ake and what Norway did with Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland. It only seems to fall on us when there's a question on that." Of course, we're disappointed if he's got a problem. It looks like it's in the abductor area. He came in on the back of not playing for two weeks, so it's not about overload. But I hate sending players back to their clubs injured."
Walker is expected to recover in time for the match against Arsenal. However, the extent of Stones and Akanji’s injuries remains uncertain. Guardiola will closely monitor their progress as City prepares for a challenging month with fixtures across multiple competitions.
Manchester City's Next Fixture
Manchester City's next upcoming fixture will be a crucial clash in the race for the Premier League title. They will host title rivals Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Super Sunday at 16:30. City trails Arsenal and Liverpool by a single point, and Pep Guardiola's side will be hoping for a win in the match, which might propel them back to the top, depending on the outcome of the Liverpool vs. Brighton match, which will be played earlier before City kicks off.
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