Soccer Football - Champions League - Group G - Manchester City v Borussia Dortmund - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - September 14, 2022 Manchester City's John Stones celebrates scoring their first goal with Manuel Akanji and Rodri REUTERS/Craig Brough
Manchester City will be without defender John Stones for their crunch Premier League clash against Liverpool on Merseyside.
The Lowdown: City set for tough test…
The Sky Blues are currently 13 points ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s side in the battle for English dominance and it seems as if Arsenal are City’s main competitors as things stand.
However, as previous seasons have taught supporters, it would be unwise to underestimate Liverpool, who were 13 points behind Pep Guardiola’s men at one point last campaign before taking them to the final day.
Liverpool also managed two goals away to in-form Arsenal last weekend and humiliated Rangers with a 7-1 Champions League drubbing in mid-week.
Anfield has been a historically tough ground for Guardiola but there is a real air of optimism given City boast the most goals scored, least conceded and remain the only top flight side unbeaten (premierleague.com).
The Latest: City without Stones…
Sharing the latest team news, City are confirmed to be without a reliable defensive star in Stones alongside the compatriots Kalvin Phillips and Kyle Walker.
When asked about the England trio, Guardiola explained to the media:
“All of them will be out [for Sunday].
“John will be back, I don’t know when, but maybe one week or ten days. Kalvin is getting better and improving a lot. Kyle still is out.”
The Verdict: Bad news
The Three Lions stars all bring real solidity to this City side and it’s bad luck they will all be unavailable.
In the case of Stones, Guardiola could have used the 28-year-old’s experience in this fixture and it’s safe to say the former Everton star can be a phenomenal asset defensively,
Called ‘magnificent’ by journalist Henry Winter after an assured display against Atletico Madrid last season, City star Ruben Dias will instead have either Aymeric Laporte or Manuel Akanji partnering him against Darwin Nunez – presumably.
Stones also would’ve been a useful option at right-back with Joao Cancelo on the left, but it’s likely Guardiola will have Sergio Gomez on that side with the former taking up Walker’s usual position.
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