Spanish tactician Pep Guardiola said he had never felt as “angry” as he did when John Stones returned from the England national team camp with an injury back in March 2024.
Pep Guardiola said the incident was particularly disheartening for him, given the competitive nature of the ongoing season.
John Stones had experienced a stellar 2022-23 season, where he made an impressive 34 appearances across various competitions for Manchester City.
However, his outings in 2024 had been limited; he had managed only four starts before receiving a call-up from then-England manager Gareth Southgate for a pair of friendly matches against Brazil and Belgium.
In an unexpected turn, the 30-year-old Stones played the entire match against Brazil, showcasing his skills and resilience. To everyone’s surprise, he also started in the match against Belgium. Unfortunately, his time on the field was cut short when he had to exit just 10 minutes into the game due to an injury.
This premature departure forced him to sit out the next two matches for Manchester City, including a crucial encounter against Arsenal, which many considered a potential title decider.
Compounding the situation, Manchester City was grappling with several other injuries, notably that of Kyle Walker, who suffered a knee injury during the recent international break with England.
Reflecting on the situation, Pep Guardiola said, “I was never so angry at that moment [when John Stones got injured earlier this year]. Never before have I been so disheartened. It was merely a friendly match while we were in the Champions League quarter-finals against Real Madrid and competing for the Premier League title. To have two players return from friendly matches with injuries is simply unacceptable!”
Guardiola shared this sentiment in the lead-up to Manchester City’s Champions League clash with Sparta Prague as reported by City Xtra. The Champions League match will kick off at 8 p.m. later tonight.
Ahead of the game, Pep Guardiola compared John Stones to a son. Recall that Stones was among the first set of players Guardiola brought on board when he joined Manchester City in 2016, and he has continued to grow in stature and capability ever since.
“John feels like my son,” Guardiola said according to the Mirror. “I understand his body language and his persona so well. He is undeniably one of the most dedicated professionals I know. The only reason he wasn’t featured recently was because both Ruben and Manu were in exceptional form.”
