John Stones is a doubt to face Crystal Palace as Man City star battles with thigh injury | OneFootball

Manchester City assistant coach Kolo Toure has shared an encouraging update on the fitness of key players John Stones and Rodri ahead of a tricky Premier League clash this weekend.

City are gearing up for a trip to Selhurst Park, where they’ll take on Crystal Palace, looking to stretch their winning streak to five games in all competitions.

Pep Guardiola’s side had seen their momentum halted by back-to-back defeats against Newcastle United and Bayer Leverkusen.

While they’ve managed to get back on track, the Cityzens will be wary of the threat Palace possess after establishing themselves as one of the surprise packages of the 2025/26 season.

City will be keen to keep pace with Arsenal at the Premier League summit and are keeping their fingers crossed about the availability of veteran defender Stones.

The 31-year-old centre-back missed City’s last two games against Real Madrid and Sunderland but could return in time to face Palace.

Meanwhile, Ballon d’Or winner Rodri has hardly kicked a ball for City and has been out of the loop since suffering a hamstring injury in October.

Guaridola was absent from media duties for personal reasons, but Kolo Toure has confirmed that the medical staff believe Stones “will be back soon”.

“The players are off today,” Toure said at the pre-match press conference. “Tomorrow, when everyone comes back, we will know more about the players.

“It was John’s thigh. That’s the problem. I’m sure it wasn’t something too big, and I think he will be back soon. Rodri is training well, and his rehab is going well. He is looking sharper and sharper.

“For sure, we won’t see him for the weekend, but he’s going through the process.”

Looking ahead to the weekend, Toure admitted that City are preparing for one of their toughest tests of the season.

Palace have become one of the most difficult teams to play against in the Premier League and will host City on the back of consecutive league wins.

The Eagles famously beat City 1–0 at Wembley Stadium in May to win the FA Cup and secure the first major trophy in the club’s history.

They sit fourth in the table and will take on City with just five points between the two teams.