Manchester City will be waiting eagerly for John Stones' return to the club to assess a hamstring injury he picked up playing for England on Tuesday.
Stones pulled up in the 37th minute of England's Nations League draw with Germany, immediately holding the back of his leg and he was substituted for City teammate Kyle Walker. Stones was able to limp off unaided, but looked visibly upset as he walked down the tunnel at Wembley. England went on to come from 2-0 down to lead 3-2, before conceding a late equaliser in their final game before the World Cup.
And manager Gareth Southgate briefly referenced Stones' injury, confirming it is a hamstring problem — something that could impact City's upcoming fixtures including clashes against Manchester United and Liverpool, as well as England's preparations for the World Cup.
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"John is feeling something with his hamstring. Harry is feeling something a little bit as well," Southgate said after the match, before praising his senior players for stepping up during England's poor run of form of late.
"Eight hours ago not everything was wrong what we were doing and now not everything is right, clearly. But the areas we weren't delivering in at the top end of the pitch we looked so much brighter and sharper. Final passes, taking people on, speed of attack. We've still failed to execute some of the opportunities we've had but the fact that we've scored three and looked dangerous throughout the game was really important for the players.
"It's understandable when they have a run that they're in with their national team that they've never experienced. They've only known good times and positivity. They've been a little bit, not surprised, but had to work all of that through. Some of the more senior players have been outstanding around the place in terms of doing that."
Southgate has been criticised for sticking with his experienced players, despite England's winless run that extended to six games on Monday. However, the England manager was defiant and indicated he would continue to pick the players he knows he can rely on — including City players Stones, Walker, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish.
Asked about sticking with his trusted players, Southgate said: "That's always going to be a challenge, especially regarding how much football they've had. I know everyone will focus on Harry, but there were some very important moments Harry delivered during the two matches. Luke was another example of someone who is an outstanding footballer, so what do we do - not pick Luke Shaw because he's not playing enough football or do we pick a player who can do what you saw tonight?
"That's always going to be a challenge, especially regarding how much football they've had," he said. "I know everyone will focus on Harry [Maguire], but there were some very important moments Harry delivered during the two matches. Luke was another example of someone who is an outstanding footballer, so what do we do — not pick Luke Shaw because he's not playing enough football, or do we pick a player who can do what you saw tonight?
"That's always going to raise debate, but I think in these moments we've got to back our best and are most experienced players, unless we're in a situation where it's almost untenable and impossible to pick them."
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