Guardiola delighted to have Stones back

Men's Team

I knew I had to do well, says Trafford

The England international captained City for the first hour of our 2-0 victory over Salford City in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

It was his first showing since a second-half substitute appearance at Fulham in early December.

City 2-0 Salford | Match report

And while we weren’t at our best, Stones was the measure of composure throughout.

Guardiola was delighted to see the 31-year-old on the pitch again but warned he will need time to get back to his best.

“It’s good he’s back. He still needs time,” the boss said.

“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.”