Quite a lot has changed since John Stones last played 90 minutes in a game of any true meaning.
Wolves away, October 20. Scorer of a controversial but ultimately fair stoppage-time winner, which led to Gary O’Neil complaining of ‘unconscious bias’ towards the top four.
Stones netted three times in the space of a month and had been brought into the side at Molineux in part to help their process of building up through midfield. That had already been a bit stodgy for a while and, as Stones suffered persistent injuries, it went on to become much worse than that.
Three months later, Manchester City have just clambered back into that top four O’Neil referenced after a scarcely believable run of form. And their defensive difficulties are such that Pep Guardiola has long banished the idea of any centre half moving into midfield. This is a different City that Stones is walking into on Wednesday night for the do-or-die Champions League clash with Club Brugge. Do not overdo it with the midfield osmosis, take care of the basics.
This is not the Treble season, which Stones ended by waltzing about Istanbul effectively as a No8 in a man-of-the-match display. Guardiola now wants the Stones who imperiously reads the game in their last line and the Stones who can stay fit. With only four Premier League starts this season, it’s been a hugely frustrating year. Two comebacks from foot injuries — one in November at Tottenham, the other in December at Aston Villa — lasted 45 minutes each.
City sources admit that Stones was rushed back too soon in both of those, with the club gripped by an injury crisis they still haven’t shaken, and Guardiola has afforded him more time before the latest re-emergence. So much time, in fact, that 20-year-old Abdukodir Khusanov was thrown in at the deep end five days after signing from Lens for £33million.
John Stones could have an important part to play for Manchester City against Club Brugge
The Englishman was a second-half substitute in City’s 3-1 win over Chelsea at the Etihad on Saturday
Although the defender has struggled with injury he is now needed for Pep Guardiola’s team
He initially sank before regaining his breathing, yet the horror first 10 minutes — in which he gifted Noni Madueke Chelsea’s goal — sadly defined his debut.
The Uzbekistan defender is ineligible for Brugge and, with Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake out, there is no other option for
Guardiola than to test the theory that Stones is now ready for action after a strong 36 minutes off the bench on Saturday.
‘Listen, he has to play — unless he says to me that he cannot,’ Guardiola said. ‘John always had these kind of situations, except the year of the Treble when he was incredibly reliable.
‘It’s the same with Nathan and that’s why we went to the market. I wouldn’t like to go to the market in this period but we have a lot of examples of (players) not being able to go every three days. John can help us for our final on Wednesday.
‘Hopefully this time he has recovered better. He played really good against Chelsea and has to make the effort for Wednesday.’
But despite his ability on the ball Guardiola wants his defenders to defend for now.
‘Our process is not good because Rodri is not there,’ Guardiola added. ‘Manu (Akanji) played really good there and John too but Rodri was alongside them. Football depends on the connection of the players. It’s not because you played good there in the past.
‘Before it was a process that was clever, easier. Now with John I’m struggling to see it, due to injuries, that he plays there. I prefer to see him back because as a defender, especially reading situations, he is so, so good.’
Abdukodir Khusanov endured a challenging debut but Guardiola says he should be given time
City are still looking for midfield reinforcement in this window and Guardiola’s comments endorse that, while more available defenders will ease the burden on Khusanov and the even younger Vitor Reis, 19, a £29m capture from Palmeiras.
‘Khusanov shouldn’t have played, it should take time to do it,’ Guardiola said. ‘It’s not easy, Chelsea in the Premier League. He’s come from another country, with no training sessions on what we want to do. Imagine all of us living what happened to Khusanov? It would be, “Oh, God”.’
Khusanov can understand English but not speak it, with Guardiola praising his players for protecting him following the mistake for Madueke’s goal.
‘I tried not to bring him into situations where it could be really tricky,’ Akanji said. ‘I just tried to lift him up and tell him not to think too much but to keep going, maybe play the safer pass back to Ederson in his next action and win his next duel to get his confidence back.’
