{"id":568237,"date":"2026-03-29T08:06:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T08:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/568237\/"},"modified":"2026-03-29T08:06:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T08:06:08","slug":"stones-the-exception-to-tuchels-world-cup-rule-despite-cold-shoulder-from-guardiola-england","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/568237\/","title":{"rendered":"Stones the exception to Tuchel\u2019s World Cup rule despite cold shoulder from Guardiola | England"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every manager reserves the right to make an exception to the rules. For Thomas Tuchel<\/a>, it is John Stones. The England head coach has watched Stones endure a lost season at Manchester City; another one, really, because things were similar for him last time out \u2013 certainly in terms of appearances.<\/p>\n

Once again, there have been injury problems, the sense that Stones cannot get himself fully right compounded over this past week with England. The 31-year-old struggled in training and when he felt something in a calf muscle on Thursday, Tuchel was forced to leave him out of the Wembley friendly against Uruguay on Friday night<\/a>. He started Fikayo Tomori alongside Harry Maguire in central defence in a drab game that ended 1-1, while Stones has gone back to his club and will play no part against Japan on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

It has not only been Stones\u2019s fitness at City this season. He has been back and available after a muscle issue since 11 February but only twice in 10 matches has Pep Guardiola started him \u2013 in the FA Cup ties against Salford and Newcastle. Otherwise, he has been an unused substitute apart from in the Premier League match at West Ham when he missed out entirely because of an ankle knock.<\/p>\n

Stones was a bench-warmer in both legs of the Champions League last-16 exit against Real Madrid and it was the same story during the Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal <\/a>last Sunday, despite Guardiola being without the injured R\u00faben Dias and Josko Gvardiol and the ineligible Marc Gu\u00e9hi. The manager started with Abdukodir Khusanov and Nathan Ak\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Stones has started four league games this season and four in the Champions League, the most recent coming in the latter competition against Bayer Leverkusen on 25 November when City slumped to a shock 2-0 home defeat. How can Tuchel be comfortable with Stones as a sixth-choice selection at best for his club? He has made it plain that his players for the World Cup have to be playing. The sense, though, is that as long as Stones can play, he will be a fundamental part of Tuchel\u2019s squad.<\/p>\n

It was significant that Tuchel took Stones to Girona last June for the warm-weather training camp even though he was not fit to play in the qualifying game against Andorra. He just wanted to see him in camp for the first time after Stones was injured for his first one last March. Tuchel loved what he saw. He wants a clutch of senior players to look after the standards in the squad; the feel of it, the language. Stones is plainly one.<\/p>\n

But it is not just that. It is also Stones\u2019s \u201cworld-class\u201d ability, as Tuchel puts it. After the player was forced to withdraw because of injury from the September camp this season, he started all four of the matches that followed in October and November. Tuchel loved what he saw even more.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you come to the World Cup, you should be fit,\u201d Tuchel says. \u201cWhen John came [to this camp] he was fit. He did not have a lot of minutes but he has a level of game understanding. I knew that he was ready to play. So the exception of the rule meaning that he does not start a lot? I can see that because I\u2019m a big fan. I know what he brings to the team in terms of personality, attitude and quality game understanding.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s obviously very upset and at the moment he gets my full support because it helps him more than putting more pressure on him. He played enough for me to be important for us \u2026 so strong in training again, like every time I see him. He\u2019s a world-class player.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut he felt again, I think, the calf. We were then very careful and said we don\u2019t take any risk. We did a reintegration and he felt it again in the last training. So no risk at the moment. But he has a lot of credit in the bank with me. Let\u2019s hope that he gets fit because it\u2019s most important he finds his confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is interesting to compare Stones\u2019s situation with that of Maguire, his longtime partner during the Gareth Southgate era, who is back to fitness and top form at Manchester United. The 33-year-old has started all 10 of the club\u2019s matches under the interim manager, Michael Carrick, helping them surge up the league table.<\/p>\n

Harry Maguire was recalled to the England squad after his impact for Manchester United under their interim manager Michael Carrick. Photograph: Bradley Collyer\/PA<\/p>\n

It was the basis for Tuchel to recall him after a year-and-a-half out of the international picture and play him against Uruguay, when he did OK. Maguire even saved England<\/a> from defeat with a vital block in the last minute to deny Federico Valverde. There is the feeling that he is set fair for a World Cup place. Not so fast, was the gist of things from Tuchel.<\/p>\n

Consider Stones\u2019s status. Consider the three centre-halves that Tuchel left out against Uruguay with an eye on preserving their fitness levels for the World Cup \u2013 Ezri Konsa, Gu\u00e9hi and Dan Burn. If the tournament were tomorrow, Tuchel has indicated each one would go.<\/p>\n

Finally, consider a line from him about Trevoh Chalobah, who damaged his ankle for Chelsea against Paris Saint-Germain on the Tuesday before last and is out for six weeks. Tuchel gave Chalobah his first cap last June against Senegal<\/a> and included him again in November.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got exactly what I thought [from Maguire],\u201d Tuchel says. \u201cSolid, solid central defender play. Very good on the ball, very calm. Strong in the air and a weapon for set pieces. I haven\u2019t changed my mind but I see other players I like to start for us. I see other players ahead [of him] with a different profile. I see Ezri Konsa ahead. I see Marc Gu\u00e9hi ahead. It\u2019s no secret. I see Trevoh Chalobah \u2013 on the level of mobility \u2013 was slightly ahead of him. Also John Stones but he had injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tuchel has released a group of players to make way for those returning against Japan on Tuesday night \u2013 another friendly, also at Wembley. He has retained Maguire and will watch him closely as he fulfils a back-up role against Japan. \u201cI needed to meet him in person to see how he acts within the group,\u201d Tuchel says. \u201cIt will be interesting now to see how he acts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tuchel gave opportunity against Uruguay to eight players with whom he had not previously worked. As well as Maguire, they were Ben White, Tomori, Lewis Hall, James Garner, Kobbie Mainoo, Harvey Barnes and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Garner started and played well \u2013 Tuchel even called him \u201cour mini Valverde\u201d \u2013 but it was hard to say that any of the others had seriously advanced their World Cup claims.<\/p>\n

Maybe Maguire? That was before Tuchel began his debrief. Injuries will play their part. A manager\u2019s favourites are his favourites.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Every manager reserves the right to make an exception to the rules. For Thomas Tuchel, it is John…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":568238,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":[49,48,561,82],"class_list":["post-568237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-soccer","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-soccer","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=568237"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568237\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/568238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=568237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=568237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=568237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}