Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola revealed he had never been as angry as he was when John Stones returned injured after playing in a friendly for England in March.
The 30-year-old picked up a muscle problem during the Three Lions’ 2-2 draw with Belgium at the Wembley Stadium, just before City’s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.
The injury meant the experienced centre-back was only able to start one of the two legs against the La Liga giants.
The defender popped up with the stoppage-time winner at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday. He also scored an injury-time equaliser in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal in September.
Guardiola’s recent comments made it look like he was blaming Stones for the injury against Belgium.
He said (per The Guardian): “I know the players don’t want to get injured, I always encourage them to go to the national team, it’s a pleasure, but if it’s a friendly game you cannot come back injured. I’m sorry.
“If you are focused, if it is a friendly game, you cannot come back injured when you are playing the quarter‑finals of the Champions League [in April v Real Madrid]because they [players] put in a lot of work behind [the scenes].
“They are the first to make a lot of work to arrive in the last stages of the season with a chance to win the titles. I know him and when he is fit he is ready. I need him. Otherwise, we cannot compete until the end. The most important thing is not training sessions, it is being fit. No injuries is the only reason why you can stay until the end of the season.”
Captain Kyle Walker will miss the upcoming European fixture against Sparta Prague after sustaining a knee injury during international duty with England.
The 34-year-old’s injury led Guardiola to outline his frustration at the Stones’ situation.
He said: “Sometimes you have to respect the clubs. In friendly games you cannot be injured. You can play, absolutely, but you cannot come back injured.
“I was never so angry as that moment. Never ever before was I so disappointed. For a friendly game, two players coming back injured – no, no, no. I didn’t like it, at all.”
City suffered a huge blow to their Premier League title hopes after Rodri’s ACL surgery ruled him out for the season.
However, they have responded well to losing the important midfielder, winning two and drawing one of their previous three league games.
The Citizens haven’t looked entirely convincing but they have managed to grind out results, keeping them in contention for all four trophies.
