Tuchel's World Cup snub of Stones echoes the Man City exit that frustrated fans

Thomas Tuchel has effectively reached the same conclusion about John Stones that Manchester City reluctantly arrived at this summer — and the England manager is doing so with fewer alternatives at his disposal.

Stones, 32, was released by City at the end of the season after persistent injury problems limited his involvement under Pep Guardiola for the best part of two years. The defender pushed back on that narrative when he joined England’s World Cup squad, telling BBC Sport he had been “fit enough 100 per cent” and suggesting selection decisions were beyond his control. “I feel as good as I’ve ever been before a tournament,” he said.

Yet since England’s opening win over Croatia, Stones has appeared in just one game — the dead-rubber group stage victory over Panama, after qualification had already been secured. For the first knockout round, Tuchel turned to Marc Guehi to partner Ezri Konsa at centre-back. Guehi is the same defender who stepped into Stones’s role at City during the second half of last season.

If Guehi retains his place against Mexico on Sunday, Stones will face the prospect of a peripheral role with England to go alongside his uncertain club future. There has been little public movement on where he will play next season.

The situation carries a particular weight for City supporters. Stones had been a genuine fan favourite since arriving from Everton in 2016, and had spoken openly about wanting to retire at the Etihad. His international record — consistently impressive across major tournaments — made the decision to let him go feel harder to accept.

But Tuchel making the same calls as Guardiola, and doing so with a defence that has not been especially convincing regardless of personnel, lends weight to the idea that City’s decision was based on what they saw in training and in matches rather than any misjudgement. For Stones, the World Cup was meant to be the stage on which he made his case. So far, it has not worked out that way.