Four Man City players receive England call-ups as John Stones misses out

31.08.2023 - 13:49 manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Manchester City defender John Stones will miss England's two fixtures in September as he continues to recover from a muscle injury.

Stones has not featured since the Community Shield for City, initially missing the Premier League opener at Burnley with a minor hip issue before suffering a muscular injury that has kept him out against Sevilla, Newcastle and Sheffield United.

City expect him to be out until after the international break, including this weekend's visit of Fulham. England have not risked Stones for their two fixtures against Ukraine and Scotland, while Kalvin Phillips has been selected after failing to feature in any of City's five competitive games this season so far.

Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Kyle Walker have kept their places in the squad as Gareth Southgate looks to move the Three Lions closer to qualification for next summer's European Championship in Germany. ALSO READ: City next transfer moves as Chelsea close to Palmer deal Victory over Ukraine would put England on 15 points from five games, nine ahead of the Ukrainians, who would have played four times.

Football Sevilla Chelsea as call Jack Grealish Kyle Walker Gareth Southgate Eddie Nketiah Phil Foden John Stones Levi Colwill Ukraine Germany Italy Scotland county Phillips

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GENEVA: Spain return to national-team soccer this week amid turmoil since the men’s and women’s teams won international titles in the last games they played. The first two days of Spanish men’s preparation for a European Championship qualifying game Friday in Georgia started with captain Álvaro Morata reading a statement of support to the Women’s World Cup-winning players and denouncing “unacceptable behavior” by now-suspended federation boss Luis Rubiales. Off-field distractions continued Tuesday: an apology to world soccer for Rubiales’ conduct at and since the women’s final in Australia by his interim replacement Pedro Rocha, and firing beleaguered women’s team coach Jorge Vilda. Men’s team coach Luis de la Fuente — who won a UEFA Nations League title in June just months into the job — has kept that job despite also being a longtime federation ally of Rubiales. Unlike Vilda, De la Fuente did not face a walkout by his entire coaching staff and a player mutiny. Only Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias has said he won’t play for Spain until “things change.” Still, those Nations League victories over Italy then Croatia in the final, in a penalty shootout, seem a long time ago and the Group A table in Euro 2024 qualifying leaves fourth-place Spain lots to do. Group leader Scotland won two more games in June, after stunning Spain 2-0 in March, and are eight points clear ahead of playing last-place Cyprus on Friday.

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