Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson believes that John Stones' omission from the Manchester City team that started against Crystal Palace on Saturday signals that "it really doesn't look good" for the England defender at the club.

The 25-year-old, who came off the bench at Selhurst Park for his first appearance in five weeks following a muscle injury, was not risked from the start, with Pep Guardiola instead opting for defensive midfielders Rodri and Fernandinho in the centre-back positions against the Eagles.

The unorthodox centre-back duo restricted Roy Hodgson's team to seven shots in that game and, as noted by @City_Chief on Twitter, Merson did say in his Sky Sports column that the pair played well.

However, he feels that Stones does not have the trust of Guardiola if the manager chose two defensive midfielders to start ahead of him in his natural position, even allowing for his recent injury.

Merson said: "A holding midfielder is not a centre-half. This lad is a £50m defender. It's not like he was always there, and Pep just doesn't fancy him as a player - a bit like Mesut Ozil and Unai Emery - it's not like that at all.

"I would say that decision is the final proof that Pep just doesn't trust Stones anymore. It really doesn't look good for Stones." [via Sky Sports]

These Manchester City fans on Twitter strongly disagreed with the pundit's comments about Stones:

Do you agree with Merson's opinion about Stones? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!