With Joao Cancelo serving a one-game suspension at the time, and Kyle Walker ruled out through injury, Manchester City fans collectively breathed a sigh of relief after seeing John Stones’ name in the starting XI in the Champions League semi-final first-leg against Real Madrid, albeit at right-back.
In a race against time to be fully fit for the clash, while the classy central defender successfully started proceedings and kept the dangerous Vinicius Jr. at bay, John Stones ultimately had to be substituted off for Fernandinho after his body could not last the taxing demands of the clash.
As the now-former Manchester City captain certainly endured a tough time at the hands of Real Madrid's Brazilian winger, as Manchester City conceded an avoidable goal that may have eventually have cost the side in their pursuit of reaching the final two seasons in a row, John Stones has reflected on rushing back to make the cut for the crucial encounter.
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“I wasn’t fully ready for the first leg against (Real) Madrid. We made the decision together (to start the game), we knew the risks and it was frustrating (when he broke down through injury)”, he revealed, as quoted by the Guardian.
It is clear that the Englishman was far from being fully up to speed for the match in question, as he was not only taken off in the 36th minute against the eventual champions of Europe, but was also deemed unavailable for the dramatic second-leg in the Spanish capital.
In addition, the 28-year old was also unfit for the entirety of the remaining Premier League season until the very last match against Aston Villa, in which he returned to the fold as a right-back in the first 45 minutes, and went on partner Aymeric Laporte in the centre of defence for the second half.
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Despite the agony of watching from the sidelines as Real Madrid pulled off a comeback for the ages to dump Manchester City out of the Champions League at the final-four stage, all’s well that ends well, as John Stones was certainly in the thick of things as he lifted his fourth Premier League title in the last five seasons on the final day of the domestic campaign.
Topics: John Stones, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Champions League, Premier League, Football
Srinivas Sadhanand