Injuries 2025/26 | Doku ruled out for three weeks (p46)

ninjamonkey said:
I believe stones gets a new contract. You can't have 8/9 starting defenders in their prime years and keep them all happy.

Stones is aging and we know about his injury record but that makes him ideal to fill the squad cover role if he is realistic about his status.
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This simply doesn't work in practice though.

A squad cover role is perfect for someone who is always available to call upon if needed, but happy to sit it out when they are not. We can't even rely on any kind of availability with John Stones anymore, he seems to get injured getting out of the car at the training ground or even just looking at a football pitch. Come next season he's likely to be a waste of a squad place and one we could perhaps fill with Reis or Guehi.
 
bluemc said:
This simply doesn't work in practice though.

A squad cover role is perfect for someone who is always available to call upon if needed, but happy to sit it out when they are not. We can't even rely on any kind of availability with John Stones anymore, he seems to get injured getting out of the car at the training ground or even just looking at a football pitch. Come next season he's likely to be a waste of a squad place and one we could perhaps fill with Reis or Guehi.
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The solution to that is you play him when he is fit and you get rest into others that way.

Reis isnt homegrown so wouldn't take up his squad space, plus he's currently playing every week and developing at Girona. Guehi, apart from the fact he seems dipper bound and there has been no suggestion of genuine interest from us, would also demand to play every week when fit.

If you replace a guy who plays 10-20 times a season with somebody who will be expecting 40-50 games, you're going to have multiple players unhappy with their minutes and wanting out.
 
ninjamonkey said:
I believe stones gets a new contract. You can't have 8/9 starting defenders in their prime years and keep them all happy.

Stones is aging and we know about his injury record but that makes him ideal to fill the squad cover role if he is realistic about his status. Much better to have a vastly experienced Stones play 10-20 games for us than have to replace him with somebody unproven and/or young and then have to deal with at least 1, maybe more players constantly wanting to leave at the end of the season for more football. His wages will have to come down a fair bit to reflect this status but seems ideal scenario to me.
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No point having someone as cover if they’re not available for the games you want them to cover.
 
Gordyola said:
Stayed for enough for the international break period, is that just a coincidence? Bet he’s fit in time for March in the mean time he can rest ready for the WC and have a nice Xmas and NY without the inconvenience of being available If I was Pep I’d have him in and make him travel
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Man management not a strength, I see, but spite is strong suit!
 
Looks like times up for Johnny Boulders. He's made of glass these days unfortunately. We should be on the phone to Palace and make them an offer for MG that the scousers won't match having blown their budget in the summer unless he's made them a promise or were happy to bring VR back in next year as his replacement.
 
ninjamonkey said:
I believe stones gets a new contract. You can't have 8/9 starting defenders in their prime years and keep them all happy.

Stones is aging and we know about his injury record but that makes him ideal to fill the squad cover role if he is realistic about his status. Much better to have a vastly experienced Stones play 10-20 games for us than have to replace him with somebody unproven and/or young and then have to deal with at least 1, maybe more players constantly wanting to leave at the end of the season for more football. His wages will have to come down a fair bit to reflect this status but seems ideal scenario to me.
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Don't see that at all.... we've made some bad decisions over the last 3 years, giving him a new contract would be another. His body isn't up to it anymore unfortunately
 
I think we are going to be all over Guehi in January.

We need HG players and he is one of the best that is available.

Only 6 months left as well.

Could get him for £20-£25m.
 
Gorbachev said:
I think we are going to be all over Guehi in January.

We need HG players and he is one of the best that is available.

Only 6 months left as well.

Could get him for £20-£25m.
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Not sure Palace would let him leave for that money. They have a good chance of Europe and they may be willing to take the risk and make a loss on the player.
Also, Guehi might hang on to become a free agent in the Summer and take his pick of clubs.
 
Reis comes in, Stones goes.
John Stones is a supreme player. He is no longer first choice.
Injury free, he would be considered the world's best defender.
His body, not his skill, has let him down.

As for the here and now, we are covered at the back, but with Rodri, Kovacic and Stones all injured, we are very heavily reliant on Gonzalez, which we know is a dangerous recipe. I think it is time to consider Nico O in central midfield. Ake/Ait-Nouri are very capable of playing the left-back role.
 
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