John Stones: Injury Ends England Defender's Night After Only Nine Minutes

John Stones: Injury Ends England Defender's Night After Only Nine Minutes

Isaac Darko
March 26, 2024 at 9:47 PM
In this article:
John Stones logo
J.Stones
Manchester City logoDEngland logo
England logo
England
England
26
Belgium logo
Belgium
Belgium
25
Manchester City logo
Manchester City
England
26
  • John Stones went off injured during England's tie with Belgium
  • The Machester City star was due to face Arsenal this weekend
  • He joins fellow City teammate, Kyle Walker, on the sidelines

Manchester City fans are furious after John Stones had to exit the friendly encounter between England and Belgium after just nine minutes.

Despite Gareth Southgate's decision to start him in defence, Stones' appearance at Wembley Stadium was disappointingly brief.

John Stones, Gareth Southgate, England, Belgium, friendly, injury
John Stones is taken off by Gareth Southgate because of an injury during the England vs Belgium friendly. Photo by Nigel French.
Source: Getty Images

An instance of uncertainty resulted in an uncomfortable movement in his knee, prompting his early exit from the game's initial phases.

Liverpool defender, Joe Gomez, stepped in as his replacement, per Sky Sports.

This setback isn't just significant for England; it also impacts Manchester City, who are set to resume their Premier League campaign against Arsenal on Sunday.

Stones' injury adds to their woes, following Kyle Walker's recent exit due to injury during the match against Brazil last weekend, the Athletic reported.

Reports also suggest that defender, Manuel Akanji, pulled out of Switzerland's squad due to an injury.

Consequently, Pep Guardiola might find himself without two pivotal players for the Premier League champions' crucial showdown at the Etihad Stadium.

England, Belgium share honours

Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham scored at the death to see England to a 2-2 draw after Youri Tielemans struck twice for Belgium in the final match before the Euro 2024 squads are announced.

As Sports Brief reported, an injury-hit England produced a display full of attacking verve but the visitors were a constant threat on the break and were made to pay for defensive lapses.

Belgium survived a succession of England efforts and seemed certain to hold out for the win in front of more than 80,000 fans at Wembley before Bellingham struck deep in stoppage time.

Bellingham’s touching gesture towards ball boy

Sports Brief has also reported on Bellingham's kind gesture to a ball boy recently.

The 20-year-old won the hearts of many when he gave his blanket to the youngster.

The Englishman was seated on the bench before selflessly giving up his own blanket.

Authors
Isaac Darko photo
Isaac Darko
Isaac Darko is a La Liga, Ligue 1 and Bundesliga editor at Sports Brief with a Degree in Journalism and Communications from Ghana Institute of Journalism (2010)