Manchester City: Philosophical stones
It was only going to be a matter of time, with the meaningless friendlies for England seeing John Stones playing over three hours. Pep, in his pre-match press conference, has said he expects John to be out four to six weeks.
With the fixtures about to come thick and fast, Stones’ absence will be a real test of our squad depth. Pulling up a little after 30 minutes in the victory over Leicester it was clear the injury was serious.
Confirmation today came from Pep that he will now be missing four to six weeks. Worst case scenario, around six weeks, will see him return around the trip to Crystal Palace. That means missing the Manchester derby, the visit of Spurs and or final Champions League Group game. All told, that will be around twelve games in all competitions.
Even the best case scenario will not see him return until the 16th of December. Even that means missing the trip to United and Shakhtar. Although he could be back in contention for the Spurs game.
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That scenario would be missing seven games in all competitions. Realistically though, with Champions League qualification already secured, tomorrows game and the trip to Shakhtar are less important than in previous years.
You would also say that, even missing Stones, we should still have enough on paper to beat most of the teams we face. Huddersfield, Southampton, West Ham and Swansea, with the exception of the Terriers, are all in the bottom half of the table. With West Ham and Swansea finding the going very difficult.
The real test for us over this period, is how players who come in react. Rotation will be key, and everyone from Kompany, Otamendi and to some of the fringe players will need to put in shifts.
As a result of the lack of cover at the back, will we see Pep go in for a defender in January? Numerous names have been mentioned since Stones hobbled off the field, but don’t forget other players could plug that gap if needed. Fernandinho has slotted back there, and Danilo is not unfamiliar to the role. It could also give Tosin Adarabioyo a much-needed run out. Relatively untried, the youngster may get the chance to prove Pep he’s worthy of a start.
Stones being out is a blow, and not ideal. But City’s rampant start to the League and Champions League puts us in a better position than in almost any other season to deal with this set back.