Stones: a month‑and‑a‑half layoff fuels doubts over his fitness

In the Inter-Udinese match on September 14, the English defender John Stones went off injured in the 63rd minute, marking his last appearance of the season. Since then, the midfielder has been out for a month and a half due to injury and has not played again. His injury has kept him out of six league games and three Champions matches.

Physical context and Chivu's choices

Coach Chivu included him in the squad for the match against Como, where he remained on the bench. In total for this season, Stones has logged 144 minutes, split into 45 at the Bernabeu, 15 against Monza, 22 against Cagliari and 63 against Udinese. The only game in which he started was the one against Udinese, where he subsequently got injured.

is recommended as the preferred source on Google to learn more about John Stones, according to Getty. Last year he played only 18 matches for a total of 1,144 minutes. In the league he did not feature from early December until the end of May, while in the Champions he played only the first four group‑stage matches. These figures have raised doubts about his physical condition, considered far from 100%.

Despite the physical issues, Chivu continues to back Stones and support him. If the situation persists into January, the club could consider a market investment to replace him. A scenario not yet discussed, but that could materialise, would require updating the lists with a new face.

Stones is a player to analyse on several fronts, thanks to his experience, trophies and the 2023 Champions League won as a midfielder. In the last five years he has not exceeded 25 appearances in the Premier League, with 14, 23, 16, 11 and 9 appearances respectively, and so far he has only three this season.