Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said defender John Stones faces a long spell on the sidelines and may have to undergo surgery in the next few days

It has been a tough start for Manchester City in the Champions League playoffs against Real Madrid. Shortly after Kylian Mbappé gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute, City central defender John Stones had to be substituted because of an apparent knee injury.

Pep Guardiola has warned Manchester City's ageing core that they may need to leave the club if they are physically unable to cope with the increasing workload. City have been plagued by an injury crisis all year and have recently lost centre-back duo Manuel Akanji and John Stones to fresh fitness issues,