Manchester City have confirmed that John Stones’ absence from the club’s squad to take on Tottenham comes after the stopper picked up an injury.
City vs Spurs
The English champions welcome Mauricio Pochettino’s men to the Etihad this evening, for the respective clubs’ 2nd league outing of the campaign.
Both outfits will be hoping to carry their positive starts from last weekend into proceedings in Manchester.
Hosts City got the defence of their title off to a blinder, with a comprehensive 5-0 drubbing of West Ham.
Raheem Sterling proved the star of the show for the Citizens, carrying his ever-improving goalscoring form into the new campaign with a hat-trick at the London Stadium.
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 10: Raheem Sterling of Manchester City holds the match ball as he applauds fans after the Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester City at London Stadium on August 10, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Tom Flathers/Manchester City FC via Getty Images)
Tottenham, meanwhile, were made to work harder for their 3 points on opening weekend, but eventually got the job done versus Aston Villa.
An early John McGinn strike was cancelled out by Tanguy Ndombele’s 73rd-minute debut finish, before a late Harry Kane double turned the clash on its head.
Stones misses out
Spurs’ hopes of picking up their 2nd-straight win, meanwhile, have this evening been boosted by a key absence from the Manchester City squad.
The player missing out, meanwhile, is John Stones.
The English international was a surprise last-minute omission from the Sky Blues’ squad.
City, though, have since provided an explanation for Stones’ absence.
The stopper has picked up a thigh injury, with further assessment on the problem due this week:
‘John Stones has suffered a rectus femoris strain and will miss today’s game at home to Tottenham Hotspur.’
‘The defender will be assessed and a prognosis is likely next week.’
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 17, 2019
Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur live streaming: Watch Online & Confirmed Line-Ups
Liverpool & Tottenham stars nominated for UEFA 2018-19 awards
