An important player for Manchester City got through unscathed against Salford but his future appears uncertain | OneFootball

John Stones has once again battled injury throughout the 2025/26 season. The England international has made only 14 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side in all competitions this season. Stones recently returned from an extended injury layoff and played 65 minutes of City’s 2-0 win over Salford City at the Etihad Stadium in their fourth-round FA Cup tie. John Stones could have an important role to play for Pep Guardiola’s side for the remainder of this season as they remain in the hunt for four trophies. Looking beyond this season, John Stones’ future seems to lie away from Manchester City, based on a recent report.

John Stones finally got through a match unscathed against Salford City.

It was pleasing to see John Stones start Manchester City’s match against Salford City. He put in a workmanlike performance as he did his job well as City’s captain for the day and as a centre-back. It was clear that Stones was rusty, but the fact that he got through 65 minutes unscathed is a major positive for Manchester City. Stones has had a frustrating 25/26 season, so seeing him get through any match without suffering any injury setbacks is a pleasing sight.

Pep Guardiola was happy to see John Stones back on the pitch against Salford City. Guardiola admitted that Stones is someway off his best, but the fact he is back playing is good news. Speaking on John Stone’ return, Guardiola said: “It’s good he’s back. He still needs time. He’s not the John Stones we knew but that’s normal. His body language was really good and he had the tempo to fight the duels. After more than two months injured, he played 60 minutes.”

If John Stones can stay fit and rediscover his best form, he will have an important role to play as Manchester City remain in the hunt in four competitions. Stones offers Pep Guardiola a completely different option at centre-back to any of City’s other centre-backs. The hope is that the worst of Stones’ injury concerns are behind him so he can play a role across the back end of this season for his team.

It is seemingly increasingly likely that John Stones will leave Manchester City at the end of this season.

Looking further ahead, it does seem that we are in the final stages of John Stones’ Manchester City career. A new report from Mark Brus in his exclusive Daily Briefing column indicates that Stones won’t be offered a new contract at City. Stones’ current deal is set to expire at the end of this season. Furthermore, Brus reports that Bayern Munich have shown an interest in signing Stones at the end of this season. Bayern are reportedly considering making a move for Stones as they bid to strengthen their defence. AC Milan and Atletico Madrid are also mentioned by Brus as clubs monitoring the situation surrounding John Stones.

What may hinder clubs in the chase to sign John Stones is his wage demands. Mark Brus reports that Everton have been ruled out of the potential race to sign the England international due to this factor. Despite a return to Everton being ruled out, John Stones seemingly has options if his Manchester City career ends at the end of this season. Players at this stage of their careers often look for the right environment to continue progressing. They weigh different opportunities and consider what comes next. Supporters tend to think in similar terms when deciding how to spend their time or money online, whether that means watching football, playing games, or picking up a Steam card online before moving on to their next title. Stones may yet face similar choices abroad as he looks to take the next step after City.

Final thoughts.

It was pleasing to see John Stones get through Manchester City’s FA Cup fourth-round win over Salford City unscathed. The hope is that Stones can contribute to his team across the final stages of this season. Given everything that Stones has done for City, he deserves to be a contributor as Pep Guardiola’s side chases honours on multiple fronts. The end may be coming for John Stones’ time at Manchester City. If it is, it would be better to see him have one last hurrah at City rather than spend his time on the treatment table.