John Stones Out 6 Weeks with Hamstring Injury Suffered vs. Leicester City

Manchester City defender John Stones could miss up to six weeks with a hamstring injury he suffered in the Premier League win over Leicester City on Saturday.

That's according to manager Pep Guardiola, who provided an update on his status after the match:

Stones left the pitch just after the half-hour mark and was replaced by Eliaquim Mangala.

The England international has been one of City's most improved players this season, anchoring the defence. The 23-year-old has been excellent on the ball and with his positioning, freeing up team-mates to be more aggressive in the duels.

As shared by FootballTalentScout, his great form has also carried over to the national team:

"

John Stones vs Germany

73 passes
97% pass accuracy
2 tackles won
3 interceptions
4 clearances
1 aerial won

Brilliant player. One of the best defenders in Europe this season. pic.twitter.com/W1hjRTI3UL

— FootballTalentScout (@FTalentScout) November 10, 2017"

Losing such a player will always hurt, but any prolonged absence will be made worse by City's situation at the centre-back position. Mangala has barely seen the pitch this season and does not seem to have the confidence of Guardiola, while the injury-prone Vincent Kompany has only just returned to the pitch after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The Belgian appeared rusty in his first match back and ran into an early booking for a foul on Jamie Vardy on Saturday. Stones covered Kompany, and his effort may have saved his team-mate from an early shower.

Without Stones, City will have to rely on Kompany to return to full form well ahead of schedule and hope the 31-year-old's body holds up in the coming weeks. The Sky Blues' fixture list includes the derby against Manchester United on December 10, as well as a meeting with Tottenham Hotspur on December 16.