Manchester City could have to contend with yet another setback ahead of their showdown against Liverpool next Sunday.
Pep Guardiola’s side have lost their last five matches in all competitions, the most recent of which saw them thumped 0-4 at home by Tottenham at the weekend, and they now find themselves eight points adrift of the Reds in the Premier League title race.
The loss of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri to a season-ending ACL injury has evidently hindered them, and having had to cope with several other absences, the Etihad Stadium outfit could be deprived of yet another player for their visit to Anfield.
As per the Liverpool Echo, John Stones could now be doubtful for Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash as he didn’t train with City yesterday ahead of tonight’s Champions League fixture against Feyenoord.
The former Everton defender was substituted at half-time against Tottenham three days ago, and Guardiola will be sweating on the 30-year-old’s fitness ahead of a crucial week for his side.
City’s injury list also includes Oskar Bobb and Mateo Kovacic, although they’ll have welcomed the returns of Ruben Dias and Jeremy Doku to team training after they missed the thrashing by Spurs.
We don’t know for sure if Stones will miss his team’s match against Liverpool on Sunday, but his absence from training yesterday won’t have gone unnoticed on Merseyside.
Despite playing as a centre-back, the England international is still City’s joint-second top scorer this season with three goals, outscoring the likes of Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Doku, Jack Grealish and Savinho (Transfermarkt).
If he’s to miss out on the fixture at Anfield, Guardiola would be deprived of not only a regular starter in his back four but also a genuine threat at set pieces, and we imagine the Spaniard will be praying that the 30-year-old won’t be sidelined for Sunday.
Liverpool aren’t without injury problems of their own, so both camps will be short of some key operators when they face off in L4 in five days’ time.
Even if Stones missing out would be a big blow for City, we never want to see players getting injured, and hopefully whatever issue might be troubling him isn’t a serious one.
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