- John Stones was supposed to play for England this month
- He had to return to Manchester after picking up an injury
- Thomas Tuchel has addressed the defender’s World Cup hopes
John Stones suffered another injury setback ahead of England’s match against Uruguay, but he has received some encouraging words from Thomas Tuchel.
Earlier this month, John Stones captained Manchester City against Newcastle in the FA Cup. However, he has never made it off the bench since then.
It would therefore have been encouraging for the centre-back to be handed an international call-up ahead of England’s two March friendlies.
Unfortunately, Stones picked up an injury last Thursday and he has had to return to Man City to receive treatment for his latest issue.
With Stones missing some of England’s final matches before the World Cup, it raises questions about his chances of being selected in the squad this summer.
Thomas Tuchel still views John Stones as important
Despite Stones being prone to injuries, Tuchel has confirmed he is still a big part of the manager’s plans.
Tuchel has even described the 31-year-old as a ‘key player’, which indicates he is still likely to play at the World Cup.
“He [Stones] has a lot of credit with me in the bank,” Tuchel told the media ahead of England’s match against Japan.
“He is a key player for us as a starter or part of the team [as a substitute] because of his quality and personality. He’s a big part of my plans but like everyone has to be fit.”
John Stones is more likely to play for England than Man City
Interestingly, Stones probably has more of a chance starting for England this summer than he does playing for Man City in the Premier League.
After all, the defender has not started in the competition since December last year and his latest injury problem will only make things harder.
Ultimately, City have three strong choices in Abdukodir Khusanov, Ruben Dias and Marc Guehi. There is also Nathan Ake, who was preferred over Stones in the Carabao Cup final.
So it could be that Stones plays at the World Cup, while feeling a little rusty due to his lack of minutes at club level.
