Man City defender John Stones has been released from England duty due to a muscular injury.
The centre-back is said to have picked up the issue prior to his first training session with the Three Lions and it has now been decided that he won’t participate in the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.
Supporters on X are bemoaning City’s recent luck with injuries, with Stones joining 7 others on the treatment table:
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Who cursed us?
— Mr.Page™ (@mfc_mrpage) September 5, 2025
This is just ridiculous man
Who is healthy and can play in our backline?
We’re about to have Rico and Nunes on at the same time man
— Sire Goofy😇💞🛸 (@sirgoofy28) September 5, 2025
well we got 3 starts out of him
— ¹⁰ (@SxrgioSZN) September 5, 2025
Dwe aren't surprised, we expected it. He will come back in December, play two matches go to the next international break, play with Engl, come back injured. Part time Manchester City player, full time England player
— Vlada (@Nyaokeis) September 5, 2025
Him and Ake getting injured is no longer a possibility, it’s just a matter of when and for how long.
— Mahmoud Kamal (@Mk_Tobi) September 5, 2025
Only played a whopping 4 games and 1 of them was a friendly
— J (@MrHiP3R) September 5, 2025
Man City are experiencing another injury crisis
Stones is now out of contention along with Phil Foden, Savinho, Rayan Cherki, Mateo Kovacic, Josko Gvardiol, Marcus Bettinelli and Kalvin Phillips.
Both Oscar Bobb and Abdulkodir Khusanov also picked up knocks in the defeat to Brighton, but it is believed that they should be available to face Manchester United after the international break.
Will Stones return for the derby?
No timeframe has been given as to when the centre-back will return to action. Based on past injuries, though, it would be a surprise if he makes the matchday squad for the United fixture on Sunday week.
Stones has spent extended periods on the sidelines with muscular problems over the past few years, and this latest issue will be a setback for both the player and his manager Pep Guardiola.
Read more about the Man City First Team Squad for 2025/26 here