Manchester City have reached another international break in their 2024/25 season.
The first break of the season in September saw multiple figures from the first-team squad go away to represent their countries in the Nations League.
This time around is a similar situation for City, who are no strangers when it comes to seeing their players feature on the international stage.
For example, the Manchester club had more players (14) from their ranks feature in the 2024 European Championship than any other side in the Premier League.
Now that another international break has arrived, a key international figure has shared some significant news regarding one of Pep Guardiola’s big-name players at the Etihad Stadium.
Lee Carsley names John Stones England’s captain for Greece match
In his recent press conference ahead of England’s Nations League match against Greece, Lee Carsley said this about his decision to give John Stones the captain’s armband.
He said: “Harry’s nursing an injury, a small knock, something that we won’t take a chance with.
“It was a great conversation that I was able to have with John last night. To have that responsibility, to ask him to captain the team, it’s a brilliant achievement for John.
“Something that he deserves, the amount of caps he’s got, the experience he’s got, the level of professionalism that he shows within the squad, the example he is to the younger players.
“It was a great conversation to have.”
Stones was hailed for his Euro 2024 performances
Looking back to the Euros in Germany over the summer, Stones ended up being one of the three outfield England figures to play every minute of the tournament.
This then led to Phil Thompson saying Stones did “very well” in the Euros for England.
Thompson wasn’t the only person connected to Liverpool to praise the City defender, as Joe Gomez called Stones an “unbelievable” player back in July.
Having made 81 senior appearances for the Three Lions prior to the Greece match, this highlights the experience Carsley mentioned when discussing why he decided to give Stones the captain’s armband.
Moving forward, from City’s point of view, Guardiola and everyone else at the club will undoubtedly be delighted that the 30-year-old has been given this opportunity by Carsley.
Beyond that, they’ll be hoping that the Englishman can go on to play a big role for his club throughout the rest of the season and help them win more trophies.
