Man City injury woes continue as Stones ruled out of Everton clash | OneFootball

Manchester City’s defensive struggles continue as Pep Guardiola confirmed that John Stones will be sidelined for their Boxing Day clash against Everton.

The England international, who has endured a string of setbacks over the past two seasons, suffered a recurrence of a previous injury during City’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday.

The 30-year-old returned to the starting lineup against Villa but lasted only 45 minutes before being substituted at halftime. Guardiola revealed that the centre-back experienced discomfort during the match, prompting his early withdrawal and was replaced by Kyle Walker.

The loss marked their ninth defeat in the last 12 games, an unprecedented run of form for Guardiola’s side. The team, which has set such high standards in recent years, now finds itself desperate for a turnaround as they prepare to host Everton on Boxing Day.

Ahead of the game, Guardiola confirmed Stones is not expected to be fit for the game against his former side.

“I didn’t speak with the doctors but if he could not play the second half at Villa Park it is because he wasn’t ready. We’ll see,” Guardiola said.

The setback is a significant blow for the Spaniard, who has been unable to rely on Stones for much of this season. The defender has only completed 90 minutes in the Premier League just once in the current campaign.

Despite featuring sporadically, his return to full fitness has been hampered by recurring problems, leaving City short of defensive options during a critical period of their season.

Guardiola will undoubtedly hope for a late Christmas miracle to revive his team’s season. However, with Stones now set for another spell on the sidelines, the City boss faces mounting challenges to restore stability to a team struggling to find its rhythm.

At the other end of the pitch, Guardiola has reinforced the importance of Erling Haaland, who criticised his own performances during this difficult spell for the Premier League champions.

“It is about us, not just one player,” Guardiola insisted. “In the past when we scored goals and Erling was so prolific and helping us it was because of the team.

“But when you have problems at the back and middle, it is all about the team. Not just one player. If it’s just one player it would be easy to see the reason why. It’s not about that. Erling is so important for us, will be important for us and we need to use him better.”