Thomas Tuchel backs John Stones for Croatia friendly

Thomas Tuchel selected John Stones to start for England against Croatia on Wednesday at 21:00 BST, pairing him with Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa. Stones, who logged 439 minutes in the Premier League and appeared in 18 matches for Manchester City across all competitions, missed two months with a thigh injury and sat out England's two previous friendlies because of a calf injury. He could be chosen ahead of Manchester City teammate Marc Guehi for the Croatia game.

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Stones announced in April that he will leave Manchester City this summer, but says he has been fit for most of the season. Tuchel also preferred Stones over Harry Maguire and Levi Colwill, describing him as a big part of his plans with credit in the bank. The selection gives Stones his sixth major tournament with England, after reaching the semi‑finals and quarter‑finals of the two preceding World Cups. "I love being here," Stones said, adding that the call from the manager made him feel pure joy.