Manchester City has suffered a major blow after confirming that their English defender John Stones will be sidelined for 8 to 10 weeks due to a thigh injury sustained during the match against Real Madrid in the Champions League on February 19.

Coach Pep Guardiola confirmed that Stones will not require surgery, but he will be out for an extended period due to the injury, stating in press remarks: "No, he won't need surgery; he can recover in 8 to 10 weeks without surgical intervention."

Stones suffered the injury in the early minutes of the match and was substituted after just 8 minutes, leaving the field without the need for a stretcher, with Nathan Aké replacing him.

City is facing a defensive crisis, as Stones joins the list of absentees alongside Manuel Akanji, who will also be out for 10 weeks due to a hamstring injury requiring surgery, which he sustained during the first leg against Real Madrid.

Due to this injury, Stones will miss next month's England national team camp, meaning he will not participate in the first matches under new coach Thomas Tuchel in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.

This absence is another setback for the player, as he has missed several matches this season due to a foot injury, limiting his appearances to just 20 matches across all competitions.