Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola was not entirely thrilled after Tuesday's victory over Young Boys. The Spaniard was hugely disappointed by the injury of John Stones and anticipates issues for his preferred style of play.
Stones returned to City last month after spending more than two months sidelined with hamstring and hip issues, but has now found himself back in the treatment room at The Citizens. The English international was taken off with a muscle injury during the game against Young Boys, with Nathan Aké stepping in as his replacement.
Despite qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League, Guardiola was not particularly euphoric after the match. This was mainly due to the injury of Stones, who, according to the manager, is of great value to City in his role as a 'hybrid defender'.
Guardiola also refers to the partnership between Stones and Rodri, who was recently suspended for three matches due to his red card against Nottingham Forest. The team lost those three games under Guardiola's management. "I prefer to play with John and Rodri, but now we have to change our plans and we are in trouble. This is very bad news," the manager told the English media.
"We've had problems before with significant changes, we're not comfortable with that," Guardiola said. City plays against Chelsea before the international break and at the end of the month, they have matches against Liverpool and RB Leipzig on the schedule. It is not yet known how long Stones will be out of action. The defender has made six appearances this season for the reigning champions of England.
