Manchester City ace John Stones to spend a month out of action due to injury | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has announced that John Stones could be out of action for up to a month.

The England international centre-back was withdrawn in the first half of last Friday’s FA Cup fourth-round win over Arsenal.

Stones injured his hamstring in the game and was replaced with Aymeric Laporte.

The 28-year-old will miss Sunday’s trip to north London for Man City’s Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur.

The English top-flight defending champions could be without Stones for the next five league games.

Man City face RB Leipzig in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie on February 22.

Stones could also miss the game, and Guardiola may have to rely on Laporte. The Spain international linked up with Manuel Akanji in the heart of Man City’s defence against Arsenal.

He will likely retain his place until Stones or Ruben Dias are fully fit. The Portuguese centre-back made the bench against the Gunners.

Dias was also introduced as a time-wasting substitution against Spurs and could start against them on Sunday.

Stones and Akanji have been Man City’s first-choice centre-back pairing this term.

The Englishman’s injury has given Dias and Laporte the chance to establish themselves in the starting XI.

Nathan Ake, Kyle Walker, Rodri and Kalvin Phillips can also play in central defence, and Stones’ absence will not prove costly.

Man City currently trail Premier leaders Arsenal by five points in the table having played a game more.

They need to buckle up if they want to retain their title and a win against Spurs will come in handy.