Man City face Vincent Kompany repeat after Pep Guardiola transfer warning

Man City face Vincent Kompany repeat after Pep Guardiola transfer warning

Pep Guardiola explained what he needed from his Manchester City players for this season back in February and there are question marks in defence

Vincent Kompany and John Stones in 2019

John Stones is happy to laugh about speculation on his future at Manchester City. "I understand why people do it but there’s nothing to comment on," he added on Tuesday.

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“I love it here, nothing’s happening. I’m here to fight and play and hopefully win some trophies."

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It should be music to the ears of Blues because, when fit, Stones is not just one of the best defenders on the planet but one of the best players. His performance in the 2023 Champions League final, charging into midfield and breaking lines while never being caught out at the back, was an all-timer.

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When he is named in a Pep Guardiola starting XI, the team feels more secure. Then, when the game kicks off, they look more secure with the star quality of Stones helping them at both ends of the pitch.

Unfortunately, there simply hasn't been enough of this in the last two seasons. Stones has often had injury issues and last year was particularly bad as he missed more than half of City's matches; only Rodri and Oscar Bobb were absent for longer.

It wasn't just the games he wasn't there for either. There were a number of aborted comebacks and the management around his fitness meant that he played a full 90 minutes on just eight occasions.

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That simply isn't reliable enough for Guardiola to be able to count on any member of his squad, and as the team struggled to break free of an injury crisis last season the manager made it clear that fitness was going to be one of the biggest requirements for anybody looking to feature in the future.

"We have to sit down with the doctors, physios, the players, agents and be clear that some of them cannot sustain every three days - every month or two months playing every three days. This is the reality," Guardiola said in February after another long lay-off was confirmed for Stones.

"There are already a lot of players who cannot sustain what we have done in the past every week in, week out. Playing in different competitions, travels without the problems.

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"The quality is there, injuries for a long time, recover and have be in the demanding opponents where today the modern football [improves]. We deserve to have a bad season, it can happen. The reality is for the future if we want to be there again we need players fit and available.

"It can happen sometimes but already it happens many times. It's so so demanding for the teams are quicker, faster, stronger and we cannot handle it right now."

Stones can laugh, but the joke has been on City for his prolonged absences and he finds himself in the position that Vincent Kompany did when Guardiola arrived at the club. Nobody doubts his ability when fit, but if he can't stay fit then his ability becomes less and less valuable.

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Kompany, one of the game's biggest battlers, fought through his injuries to show the manager his importance to the team, and his goal against Leicester in 2019 immortalised him as well as enabling him to be the captain that had led City not just to a 100-point season but back-to-back league wins as part of a domestic clean sweep. His story did not end up being defined by setbacks.

Stones came in 2016 as part of the new era that could have ushered Kompany out, and when his contract expires next summer he will have done a decade at the Etihad. There is the chance to extend that - he has spoken about potentially ending his career with City - but for that to happen the 31-year-old must find the strength that Kompany showed to prove his doubters wrong.

If he can do that, Stones can ensure he has the last laugh.

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