STONES’ FUTURE IN DOUBT: England Star’s Injury Woes Raise Questions About His Longevity
Gareth Southgate Addresses John Stones Injury Concerns Ahead of Euro 2024
England suffered a defeat to Iceland in a pre-Euro 2024 match.
Gareth Southgate provided a brief update on John Stones after the defender sustained an injury scare during England’s 1-0 loss to Iceland.
The Three Lions delivered a lackluster performance at Wembley, where Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson’s 12th-minute goal secured Iceland’s victory.
In the match, John Stones, the Manchester City defender, experienced an ankle issue just two minutes in but continued to play until he was substituted by Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa at halftime.
Late in the game, another defender, Marc Guehi, also appeared to suffer an injury but managed to remain on the field until the final whistle.
Post-match, Southgate gave an update on Stones to Channel 4, saying, “We think he’s probably okay, but we didn’t want to take a chance with him.”
Before the match, England was already missing Luke Shaw, who hasn’t played for Manchester United since February, and Lewis Dunk, who was left out due to a minor injury.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Southgate commented, “It was clearly a disjointed and disappointing effort, and we didn’t show enough character. However, this serves as a good focus for us ahead of the tournament.
“Everyone expects us to breeze through without any issues, but the reality of international football is different. We need to be much better defensively and more composed when we have the ball.”
