Pep Guardiola is worried about the difficulties Manchester City may face as a result of John Stones’ latest injury. The English defender had to leave the pitch after taking a knock during Tuesday’s 3-0 Champions League triumph over Young Boys, and the treble-winning club is eager to hear the results. After being out for two months due to hip and hamstring problems, Stones had only recently made a comeback to the field in October.
Guardiola has expressed his concerns that the 29-year-old may have to miss a significant amount of time due to the muscular issue, calling it “deep bad news.” For City, Stones had been playing a fantastic role that complemented center midfield anchor Rodri, frequently in a hybrid defense-midfield capacity. Stones is crucial, and Guardiola made note of the fact that his absence was just as important during City’s three-game losing skid earlier in the season.
“We play John and Rodri at the same time, which puts us in trouble because we have to play a little bit differently, like what happened in Arsenal,” Guardiola clarified. We still don’t feel comfortable, and we’re not ready to make many changes.
Notwithstanding the injury setback, City defeated the Swiss champions with ease to guarantee their spot in the round of 16 for the eleventh time in a row. Erling Haaland made two contributions: a penalty goal and a potent long-range strike. Haaland had been recovering from a twisted ankle from the previous weekend. With two games remaining, City has won all four of their Group G games and moved on to the next round.
At halftime, Mohamed Ali Camara, the captain of Young Boys, attempted to switch shirts with Haaland, a move that incited anger from certain quarters. Raphaël Wicky, the coach of Young Boys, expressed his amazement and said he might talk to Camara about it. Young Boys had trouble producing opportunities and lost midfielder Sandro Lauper to a red card in the second half.
