England recorded a 3-3 draw against Germany in their final match before the 2022 World Cup as Gareth Southgate’s side finished bottom of their UEFA Nations League group.
While it was a chance for Southgate to see his players in international action once more, he’ll be hoping it’s not the last time he sees John Stones play before he has to select his squad for November’s trip to Qatar.
The Manchester City defender lasted just 36 minutes in the Sept. 26 match before being replaced due to injury. Here’s what we know so far.
MORE: England vs. Germany result, highlights & analysis
What happened to John Stones against Germany?
Having been recalled to the starting XI for the Germany match after missing the previous game in Italy through suspension, Stones took his spot in the back three alongside Harry Maguire and Eric Dier.
Stones looked comfortable in possession and rarely made a mistake before his minutes were ended prematurely.
On 35 minutes, Stones stepped in to break up a Germany attack and start a dangerous counter of his own with teammate Phil Foden.
However, just a minute later he went down on the pitch in pain and appeared to be holding his right hamstring.
Stones could be seen banging the turf in frustration as he knew his night was over. He limped off with fellow City teammate Kyle Walker coming on to replace him.
🗣 “They’ve really come together”
Gareth Southgate is proud of how his players have reacted after a difficult run of results.#C4Football | #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/7nLrHtVUM1
— Channel 4 Sport (@C4Sport) September 26, 2022
John Stones injury details
Gareth Southgate confirmed in his post-match press conference that Stones had indeed done something to his hamstring, but he didn’t expand on the severity of the injury.
Depending on the grade strain of the hamstring injury and whether it’s torn or not, it could be anything from a few weeks out to a couple of months.
Stones will continue to undergo tests in the coming days to establish the extent of the injury but did not train on Thursday with his teammates ahead of the Manchester derby.
Guardiola will likely give an update on the player’s injury during his Friday press conference.
The Sporting News will update this post regularly once more information becomes available.
MORE: Detailed look at England’s group stage opponents at Qatar 2022
How John Stones injury impacts Manchester City
In short, bad news for the defending Premier League champions.
City’s next match is against rivals Manchester United on Sunday, October 2 and at present Stones looks unlikely to be fit for that.
The news will come as a huge blow for City manager Pep Guardiola with Stones a regular starter under the Spaniard this season.
Stones has played 551 minutes for City in all competitions this term — the second second most at centre-back behind Ruben Dias, and overall ahead of the likes of Kyle Walker, Nathan Ake, Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez.
Manuel Akanji, Ake or Walker could now come into the fold in the coming weeks should Stones be set for time on the treatment table. Aymeric Laporte also hasn’t played for City this term after undergoing knee surgery in the summer.
As for the World Cup, Stones’s place in Southgate’s squad will be in jeopardy if he isn’t match fit with the likes of Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Conor Coady (Everton), and Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan) all champing at the bit for some England minutes.
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