Pep Guardiola and Rodri deliver major fitness updates on John Stones and Phil Foden following injury concerns

John Stones and Phil Foden left Manchester City supporters concerned on Wednesday night following their respective substitutions against Brighton.

The Premier League champions travelled to the south coast fresh off the back of a 1-0 win over Chelsea, and some wild celebrations that followed the lifting of their third successive English top-flight crown.

With the English top-flight season done and dusted with two games to spare, Pep Guardiola has had the rare opportunity to rest and rotate his squad ahead of the two cup finals that loom for Manchester City in the early weeks of June.

Nevertheless, the Catalan coach is having to find the right balance between ensuring rhythm and tempo is maintained, whilst also handing ample rest to his key stars ahead of two matches that could have a decisive say on the history of Manchester City.

As such, a largely strong side was fielded at the Amex Stadium – despite five first-team players being absent due to a lack of fitness following the weekend’s win over Chelsea – but that came at a cost.

Phil Foden was replaced early in the second-half with Cole Palmer coming on in his place, whilst John Stones went down midway through the latter 45 minutes, leaving many Manchester City supporters concerned over their fitness at such a crucial stage of the season.

Speaking after the game however, Pep Guardiola somewhat reassured fans by offering details on the fitness of the duo, as he explained, “Phil (Foden) had a knock in the first half, problems in the leg, and the doctor told me it was dangerous and we didn’t take a risk.

“John (Stones) felt tight, but he didn’t have anything, and we didn’t want to take a risk, so hopefully he can recover as soon as possible.”

Continuing on the subject of the England international centre-back, his defensive partner on the night Rodri also offered some insight during his post-match interviews, as the Spaniard explained, “No he’s fine.

“He went down to make the substitution, but I asked him and he was pretty good.”

Manchester City return to action on Sunday afternoon in what will be their final Premier League match of the 2022/23 season, and their final match preparation before taking on Manchester United in the Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium a week later.

That clash against their bitter city rivals precedes the 2023 Champions League final, when Manchester City will travel to Istanbul, Turkey to take on Serie A giants Inter with a view towards winning their first ever European crown.