It has been revealed that John Stones has returned to full training for Manchester City after having suffered an injury against Everton.
The City defender, whose return to training has been reported by Manchester Evening News’ Simon Bajkowski sustained a knock after tackling Beto against the Toffees, who was clean through on goal.
While the Everton striker was clearly offside, the linesman did not put his flag up to let the sequence of play subside before doing so.
John Stones returns to training after injury against Everton
In the process, John Stones had to be hooked off during the contest, as he went on to miss the Sky Blues’ next three games against Sheffield United, Huddersfield Town and Newcastle United.
So far this season, injuries have curtailed the £250,000-a-week (Sport Rac) man’s season, with him having started in only five games in the Premier League.
Now, Manchester Evening News’ Simon Bajkowski has reported that John Stones was in full training for the first time since his injury in late December for Manchester City in Abu Dhabi during the Premier League’s ongoing winter break. The treble-winners play Tottenham Hotspur in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday upon their return to England.
The same cannot be said for the injured duo of Erling Haaland and Manuel Akanji, who were not spotted in training for City.
The return of John Stones must be a huge relief for Pep Guardiola
Now that John Stones seems to have recovered from his injury and is training with the first-team, Pep Guardiola must be relieved.
Not only because the 29-year-old is one of the best in the world in his position but also due to the tactical stability his presence brings.
In John Stones’ absence, Pep Guardiola’s hand is forced, as he either has to play Manuel Akanji in midfield from centre-back, which is an experiment that is yet to have fully delivered or the likes of Kyle Walker and Josko Gvardiol are tasked to hug the touchline as full-backs.
While this tweak allows their wingers to tuck into the centre and maximise control in the middle of the park, in the process, it exposes Manchester while defending counter-attacking situations.
As a result, John Stones’ return to fitness is a blessing for Pep Guardiola.
