England international John Stones has admitted that he has had a difficult time with Manchester City since the turn of the year. The centre-back had been a regular for the Citizens during the early part of the campaign, but a hamstring injury during the month of November has hampered his chances of earning a regular spot. Stones has now started in just two of the last nine matches with manager Pep Guardiola sticking with Nicolas Otamendi and skipper Vincent Kompany at the heart of the backline.
In a report covered by Sky Sports, Stones said that he is facing a tough spell with the Citizens, but he is hoping to reclaim a regular spot with hard work in training sessions, he quipped: “It’s difficult. Every player wants to play week-in, week-out. But I’ve had games here and there, I’ve been fighting and that’s all you can do. Train hard, keep working hard and when your chance comes you’ve got to take it and that’s what I’ve done. I’ve had the players’ backing and the manager’s backing. It’s one of those things where the team’s winning games and playing well, and you can’t get back in just like that.”
