The England defender, who has solely made six appearances in an injury-hit season, got here off at half-time in Tuesday’s win over Younger Boys of Bern and supervisor Pe3p Guardiola has dominated him out of Sunday’s journey to Chelsea.
Guardiola mentioned Stones’ muscular downside will not be as critical as he initially feared however is not sure when the 29-year-old shall be match once more and he has a race towards time to be out there for the conflict with Liverpool on 25 November.
The Metropolis supervisor defined: “He’s not prepared for tomorrow [game against Chelsea on Sunday] and we’ll see after we come again from the worldwide break. I don’t know.
“The physician mentioned to me it’s not as dangerous [as feared] however I nonetheless don’t know. I wish to create tempo. When he’s going to be match once more, he’s going to come back again.”
John Stones was reinvented final season to function partly as a midfielder along with his duties on the again and Guardiola believes summer time signing Josko Gvardiol will not be but able to take up an analogous position, coming ahead in possession.
“Nonetheless he didn’t show it in coaching periods and drills that we do to see how you progress in additional central positions,” he mentioned. “Nonetheless I didn’t see it. Possibly in future, as a result of he’s nonetheless younger and initially we didn’t anticipate John might try this however he can try this as a result of he has been right here eight years.”
Rico Lewis is ready to play each as a full-back and in midfield and Guardiola believes that, have been he larger, {the teenager} could be one of many excellent footballers within the division.
He added: “If he was a bit of bit taller, we’d think about him the most effective gamers within the Premier League. He’s so small however he’s an distinctive participant.”
Kevin de Bruyne, who has been out since August and has undergone an operation on his injured hamstring, has had an extra scan this week.
The Belgian is anticipated to be out for the remainder of the calendar yr however Guardiola has not put a timeframe on his comeback.
He added: “I spoke with him two days in the past and he mentioned he feels actually good nevertheless it’s not essential to take dangerous choices or fallacious choices in coming again early and getting injured once more. Kevin was a tricky harm, a surgical procedure.”
