- John Stones was forced off in the first half at Everton after colliding with Beto
- Pep Guardiola says the defender’s injury ‘doesn’t look good’ but remains hopeful
- It’s tight at the top of the tree as Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa all drop points… so who’s winning Christmas so far? Listen to It’s All Kicking Off
Manchester City defender John Stones has suffered an ankle injury which ‘doesn’t look good’, according to manager Pep Guardiola.
City returned to winning ways in the Premier League, coming from behind to beat Everton 3-1 at Goodison Park.
But Guardiola’s side were dealt with a blow when Stones was forced off at the end of the first half following a collision with Toffees striker Beto, who was subsequently flagged offside.
‘It doesn’t look good, probably but we will see. It’s his ankle.’ the City boss said when questioned by Amazon after the game.
In his post-match press conference, Guardiola added: ‘Hopefully the damage isn’t big and he can come back soon.’
Manchester City defender John Stones suffered another injury during the win over Everton
The defender went down after a collision with Toffees striker Beto, who was the flagged offside
Guardiola says Stones’ injury ‘doesn’t look good’ but remains hopeful he will return soon
The City bench appeared to be frustrated that play was allowed to continue momentarily despite Beto clearly standing in an offside position.
Since the 2020-21 season, referees have been instructed to keep their flags down until the passage of play is completed to avoid game-altering mistakes.
Stones’ season has been hampered with injuries and the win over Everton was just his fifth start in a frustrating season.
However, Guardiola provided a positive update on the fitness of Kevin De Bruyne who has been sidelined by a hamstring injury since August.
‘Kevin is close but he had fatigue yesterday and we have to be careful,’ Guardiola said. ‘When he was injured for three months, if you don’t handle the timings good you can get injured again.
‘The injury was serious so step by step but he’s training with us and he is so positive so soon he will be back. I’d love for him to play the next game or Huddersfield but what is important is keeping him fit for a long time, not for one game or another.’
Guardiola confirmed Kevin De Bruyne could return in the coming weeks after four months out
Meanwhile, Guardiola suggested Haaland could miss a few more games with a foot injury that has seen him sit out last six matches.
“I’m not a doctor. He had a stress in the bone in his feet and it’s so painful. He’s not a skinny guy like Phil Foden, he’s huge and tall so it is more difficult sometimes.
‘When he will be fine, he will be back and play but the doctors come every morning and say which players are available. I create the team and we play the games.”
