John Stones had to leave the game early due to a suspected adductor injury during England’s friendly match against Belgium on Tuesday.
The Manchester City defender was replaced by Joe Gomez after just 10 minutes at Wembley Stadium.
Stones showed signs of discomfort shortly after kicking the ball early in the game, leading England to quickly prepare Gomez as his replacement.
“We’re disappointed if he’s injured. It seems to be in the adductor area,” said England manager Gareth Southgate. “He came into the game after not playing for two weeks, so it’s not due to overuse. But I dislike sending players back to their clubs injured.”
The match ended in a 2-2 draw following Jude Bellingham’s late equalizer in stoppage time. Youri Tielemans scored twice for Belgium, while Ivan Toney converted a penalty for England in the first half.
Stones joins the list of injury concerns for both Southgate and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, as Kyle Walker also suffered a hamstring injury in Saturday’s game against Brazil.
Both Stones and Walker are key players for their club and country and are expected to be part of Southgate’s squad for the European Championship later this year. Meanwhile, Manchester City is competing in the final month of the season, defending its Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup titles.
City is set to face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals on April 9 and 17, and also has a crucial Premier League match against league leaders Arsenal at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
