John Stones is “100%” ready to replace Rodri as Manchester City’s holding midfielder, with the defender stating he loves playing in the role.
Rodri’s absence until next season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury has led Pep Guardiola to state he will find different solutions to replace the 28-year-old Spaniard who is considered one of the world’s finest No 6s. In the 1-1 league draw at Newcastle on Saturday, the manager selected the double pivot of Mateo Kovacic and Rico Lewis to do so.
Stones has been played often in midfield – usually stepping up from defence when City have possession, as he notably did in the 2023 Champions League final win against Inter. Asked if he is ready to replace Rodri, he said: “Yeah, if called upon, 100%. [We have] a lot of quality and a lot of players that are more than capable of filling in in that position.
“I love it – it’s a different [way of looking] on the game. [I have] appreciation for players who have played there, understanding the game, learning from a defender’s point of view, when to receive and pass the ball, appreciation of the guys who play that role.
“I always enjoy it and try every time I go in there. The manager puts us there for a reason and it’s about going out there and doing a job. It happened a lot over the last two years – me going into midfield. In the Champions League final I was a bit higher up [the field] – that was new for me. Something I enjoyed.”
City are at Slovan Bratislava on Tuesday night in their second Champions League game. Vladimir Weiss, manager of the host side, compared Guardiola to Antoni Gaudí, the renowned Catalan architect whose Sagrada Família church in Barcelona has been under construction for more than 140 years.
“I would compare Pep to Antoni Gaudí,” Weiss said. “He’s been building something nobody could understand and he is a genius, just like Gaudí had his idea like a cathedral and now he’s achieved what he wanted to do. He’s selected players who fit his philosophy.”
Guardiola laughed this off, saying: “He’d not had a glass of wine, my colleague? I want to say something honest: the start of the press conference [it seems like] we are going to play a friendly game tomorrow. I’m a little bit concerned about that in terms of the questions about Gaudí. It’s a competition.”
Kevin De Bruyne is not part of City’s 19-man travelling squad as he recovers from a muscle injury. Guardiola said: “For Fulham [at the weekend] or after the international break, hopefully he will be OK then.”
