April 13th 2024.
The football world was abuzz with rumors about John Stones' fitness this season. Fans and pundits alike were concerned about his ability to stay healthy and perform at his best for Manchester City. However, manager Pep Guardiola has put all those worries to rest by revealing that Stones is not actually injured, despite missing Saturday's 5-1 victory against Luton Town.
Thanks to an own goal from Daiki Hashioka and goals from Mateo Kovacic, Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, and Josko Gvardiol, City was able to secure a comfortable win at their home stadium, the Etihad. The only blip on their otherwise perfect performance was a consolation goal from Ross Barkley for Luton. This win puts them in a good position to stay at the top of the Premier League, as long as Arsenal and Liverpool don't manage to defeat Aston Villa and Crystal Palace on Sunday.
The absence of Stones from the matchday squad had caused some concern among fans, especially after reports that he had been playing through pain in the previous game against Real Madrid. There were fears that he may have sustained another injury, but Guardiola was quick to reassure everyone that this was not the case. He did admit, however, that Stones was not in the best physical condition.
In his post-match press conference, Guardiola told reporters, "Stones has some niggles, but he is fine. He is not injured. However, he didn't feel comfortable, and we didn't want to take any risks." This news is a huge relief for City, not just for their title hopes, but also with their important Champions League quarter-final match against Real coming up on Wednesday.
Guardiola also had some positive updates on other players' fitness. Defenders Nathan Ake and Kyle Walker were both back in the squad for the Luton match, and key midfielder Rodri was on the bench after publicly stating that he needed a rest. When asked if Rodri was happy to have a break, Guardiola jokingly replied, "Absolutely! He's going to rest on Wednesday as well! Do you believe me? Nathan and Kyle wanted to be on the bench, and I said, 'Okay, go on the bench.'"
It seems like things are looking up for Manchester City, with their players returning from injury and the team performing well on the pitch. Fans can now breathe a sigh of relief and look forward to more victories from their beloved team.
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