Manchester City delay decision on John Stones’ future due to fitness concerns

<ul><li><p>England defender is out of contract in the summer</p></li><li><p>Stones played only 11 Premier League games last season</p></li></ul><p>John Stones’s Manchester City future will be reliant on the defender’s fitness, according to Pep Guardiola. The England international’s contract expires in the summer and the club must decide if he deserves an extension after an injury-hit spell at the Etihad Stadium.</p><p>The 31-year-old recently said <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jun/22/i-want-to-stay-john-stones-moves-to-shut-down-manchester-city-exit-talk">he contemplated retirement last season</a> due to fitness problems, which resulted in him making only 11 Premier League appearances and missing the final three months of the campaign with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/20/john-stones-injury-manchester-city-pep-guardiola">a hamstring injury</a>. Stones was an unused substitute for City’s past two league matches but will hope to return to the starting lineup against former club Everton on Saturday, having featured twice for England during the international break.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/oct/17/manchester-city-delay-decision-on-john-stones-future-due-to-fitness-concerns">Continue reading...</a>