John Stones injury severity and Phil Foden fitness confirmed in damning update from Pep Guardiola ahead of Tottenham clash

Manchester City centre-back John Stones could be ruled out of action for up to one month, according to manager Pep Guardiola.

The Englishman was replaced prior to the half-time interval in last week’s 1-0 Emirates FA Cup fourth round victory over Arsenal with what appeared to be a hamstring injury at first glance, in a fresh setback for Manchester City.

City have only just welcomed back Ruben Dias from a muscular problem of his own, with the Portuguese defender having sustained his problem during the closing stages of his nation’s FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar.

The absence of John Stones, coupled with the recent departure of Joao Cancelo to Bayern Munich on an initial six-month loan deal, will hand Pep Guardiola fresh selection headaches across the course of the coming fixtures.

When asked to provide an update on the England international ahead of Manchester City’s trip to face Tottenham in the capital this weekend, manager Pep Guardiola confirmed the severity of the problem and how long Stones could be ruled out of action for.

“(He will be out for between) Three weeks, one month,” Pep Guardiola confirmed. “Unfortunately, a lot of games (to miss).”

Guardiola continued, “Managers complain about a lot of games. Comes (back) from the World Cup. In a few weeks, he will be back.”

Phil Foden is another player who has been ruled out of action in recent weeks due to a foot problem sustained against Manchester United last month, and one that re-emerged ahead of the 3-0 win over Wolves at the Etihad Stadium.

However, after returning to Manchester City training throughout the course of this week, the young forward will be available for selection for the current Premier League champions at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Pep Guardiola and his players take on Antonio Conte’s side on Sunday afternoon, as they continue their pursuit of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table, with the Gunners holding a five-point lead on their title challengers.