Manchester City defender John Stones is facing a spell on the sidelines after pulling his hamstring in the 3-3 draw against Germany. The Englishman will be missing the Manchester derby on the other side of the international break, which will concern Pep Guardiola.
However, the signing of Manuel Akanji from Borussia Dortmund will prove to be a lifesaver for Guardiola in this situation. His arrival was a last-minute decision, and he has proven to be worth the £15 million paid for him.
John Stones injured on international duty
Here is what Pep Guardiola said prior to their game against Sevilla, and it shows he had seemingly predicted the issues during the break: “We are lucky the club give me Manuel Akanji otherwise we be in real trouble. The club moved quick to bring in another player in this positions. The history for John and Nathan [Ake] they aren’t quite reliable to play every week. It is what it is. Mainly because this incredible schedule for many years, the players cannot sustain it for a long time.”
Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake are the two other centre-back options that Guardiola has apart from John Stones for the coming weeks. Aymeric Laporte is still out injured, and it remains to be seen whether he can rejoin the squad in the weeks leading up to the World Cup.
