Much has changed since John Stones played 90 minutes in a game of any true meaning.
Wolves Away, October 20. Scorer of a controversial but finally winner of just detention time, which led Gary O'Neil to complain about 'unconscious bias' towards the first four.
The stones scored three times in the space of one month and had been brought aside in Molineux in part to help their construction process in the midfield. That had already been a bit heavy for a while and, as Stones suffered persistent injuries, it became much worse than that.
Three months later, Manchester City has just uploaded to the first four that O'Neil made reference after a barely credible way. And its defensive difficulties are such that Pep Guardiola has long banished the idea that any center moves to the center of the field. This is a different city in which Stones is entering Wednesday night for the clash of the Do-O-Die Champions League with Club Brugge. Do not exaggerate with the osmosis of the center of the field, take care of the basics.
This is not the acute season, which Stones ended with Waltzing on Istanbul effectively like a NO8 on a game man of the game. Guardiola now wants the stones that imperiously read the game in its last line and the stones that can be kept fit. With only four beginnings of the Premier League this season, it has been a very frustrating year. Two returns of foot injuries, one in November in Tottenham, the other in December in Aston Villa, lasted 45 minutes each.
City sources admit that Stones hastened too soon in both, with the club grabbed by a crisis of injuries that have not yet shaken, and Guardiola has given him more time before the last resurgence. So much time, in fact, that Abdukodir Khusanov, 20, was thrown in the background five days after signing from lenses for £ 33 million.
John Stones could have an important role to play for Manchester City against Club Brugge
The English was a substitute for the second half in the city's 3-1 victory over Chelsea in Etihad on Saturday
Although the defender has fought with an injury, it is now necessary for the Pep Guardiola team
Initially he sank before recovering his breathing, however, the horror of the first 10 minutes, in which he gave the goal of Noni Madueke Chelsea, unfortunately defined his debut.
Uzbekistan's defender is not eligible for Brugge and, with Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake, there is no other option for
Guardiola to prove the theory that Stones is now ready for action after strong 36 minutes from the bank on Saturday.
“Listen, you have to play, unless you tell me you can't,” said Guardiola. 'John always had such situations, except the year of acute when he was incredibly reliable.
'It is the same with Nathan and that is why we went to the market. I would not like to go to the market in this period, but we have many examples of (players) that we cannot go every three days. John can help us for our final on Wednesday.
With luck, this time it has recovered better. He really played well against Chelsea and has to make the effort for Wednesday.
But despite his ball ability, Guardiola wants his defenders to defend themselves for now.
“Our process is not good because Rodri is not there,” Guardiola added. 'Manu (Akanji) played very well there and John too, but Rodri was next to them. Football depends on the connection of the players. It is not because you played well there in the past.
'Before it was a process that was intelligent, easier. Now with John, I'm struggling to see him, due to injuries, he plays there. I prefer to see him back because as a defender, especially reading situations, he is so, very good.
Abdukodir Khusanov suffered a challenging debut, but Guardiola says that he should give time
City is still looking for reinforcement in the center of the field in this window and Guardiola's comments support that, while more available defenders will relieve Khusanov's charge and the vitor Palmeiras.
“Khusanov shouldn't have played, it should take time to do,” Guardiola said. 'It's not easy, Chelsea in the Premier League. He comes from another country, without training sessions about what we want to do. Imagine that we all live, what happened to Khusanov? It would be, “Oh, God.”
Khusanov can understand English but not speak it, with Guardiola praising his players to protect him after Madueke's goal error.
“I tried not to take it to situations where it could be really complicated,” Akanji said. “I just tried to raise it and tell him not to think too much, but to continue, maybe play the safest pass with Ederson in his next action and win his next duel to recover his trust.”