EPL 2022-23: 'Don't know when Stones will come back' - Guardiola ahead of Manchester Derby
On Sunday, the highly-anticipated Manchester Derby of the EPL 2022-23 will occur between Manchester City and Manchester United. However, the former will be without John Stones, as boss Pep Guardiola is unsure of his return date.
FollowIt will be an exotic Sunday for the 2022-23 English Premier League (EPL), as the highly-awaited Manchester Derby takes place between crosstown rivals Manchester City and Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium. Given the form of both sides, it is tough to predict an absolute winner, while the hosts can be placed marginally ahead. However, the defending champion has a problem, with English defender John Stones being ruled out with an injury. Also, the head coach of the Cityzens, Pep Guardiola, is unsure of Stones' return date but asserted that it wouldn't be a long lay-off.
During the pre-match press conference on Friday, Guardiola voiced, "He [Stones] will be back when he is ready. I think it will not be four, five, six weeks, it will be less. I don't know when he will return, but I think maybe ten days or two weeks." It could also mean that the Englishman could miss out potentially three more games after the Derby.
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When asked about his Derby's expectations, Guardiola replied, "I always expect the best. They come with good results against tough sides. With Southampton, it's not easy, especially Liverpool and Arsenal at home, and yeah, good momentum for them." He also compared the Derby to El Classico and Der Klassiker.
"In Spain, Barcelona and [Real] Madrid are noisier the days before, more media, everything. The rest, in Germany, here, is perfect. You can work, people expecting, enjoy watching the Derby, that's all. It's an important, big rival in the city. We will try to figure out what we're going to do and what we can do to beat them. No more than that. In these games, you don't have to make extra emotion. Everyone knows it. The stadium will be full. I'm looking forward to it," concluded Guardiola, reports FotMob.
