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Pep Guardiola has claimed Manchester City could be \u201cin trouble\u201d following John Stones\u2019 latest injury setback.<\/p>\n
The treble winners are awaiting assessments of the England defender after he was forced off with a knock in Tuesday\u2019s 3-0 Champions League stroll against Young Boys.<\/p>\n
Stones only returned to action in October after a two-month lay-off with hamstring and hip problems.<\/p>\n
Manager Guardiola said he feared the 29-year-old could be out \u201cfor a while\u201d with the muscular problem and described the blow as \u201cdeep bad news\u201d.<\/p>\n
Stones has been revelatory for City playing in a hybrid defence-midfield role and Guardiola feels he complements central anchor Rodri perfectly.<\/p>\n
Much was made of the fact Rodri was suspended when City lost three successive games earlier in the campaign, but Guardiola believes the absence of Stones was equally crucial.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThe problem is we play John and Rodri at the same time \u2013 now we are in trouble, because we have to play a bit differently, like happened in Arsenal.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do not feel comfortable still, we are not prepared to change many variations.\u201d<\/p>\n
City hardly broke sweat as they brushed past the Swiss champions to secure their place in the last 16 for an 11th consecutive year.<\/p>\n
The holders have won all four of their matches in Group G and are through with two matches to spare.<\/p>\n
Erling Haaland made light of the ankle problem that curtailed him against Bournemouth last weekend to open the scoring with a penalty and added the third goal with a powerful long-range strike.<\/p>\n
It was yet another dominant performance from the Norway striker, who has now scored 39 goals in 34 career Champions League appearances and 15 in all competitions this season.<\/p>\n
Opposition captain Mohamed Ali Camara even asked to swap shirts with the 23-year-old at half-time, something which drew criticism in some quarters.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a little bit surprised about that right now,\u201d admitted Young Boys coach Raphael Wicky, whose side failed to muster a single shot and had midfielder Sandro Lauper sent off in the second half. \u201cI\u2019ll probably have a word with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
None of this worried Guardiola, whose side looked comfortable with Phil Foden also on the scoresheet.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not normal, but I don\u2019t know the reason why it happened,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a big subject for me right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
City\u2019s remaining task in the group will be to secure top spot, and a theoretically favourable draw, in the first knockout round. They face second-placed RB Leipzig at home later this month before wrapping up the stage at Red Star Belgrade.<\/p>\n
Midfielder Matheus Nunes said: \u201cWe cannot look at those two games as spare because we want to get through as first place, and that\u2019s what we will try to do now.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will focus on Chelsea now, but when those games come we will be ready because we want to win both of them.\u201d<\/p>\n