Stones is put on alert by Pep for crunch clash with Brugge

PEP GUARDIOLA says he has to play an undercooked John Stones in Manchester City's must-win Champions League clash with Club Brugge on Wednesday.

- DAVID ANDERSON

Stones is feeling his way back after being out for a month with a foot injury - his third absence of the season - and he has managed just two starts since October 30. The City manager says the defender must face Brugge even if he is not fully match fit, because Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake are injured and Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis are ineligible.

"Listen, he has to play," Guardiola said. "Unless he says to me he cannot play.

"After that Josko [Gvardiol] will be central defender and I will invent and think of who plays full-back.

"The situation is that Ruben and Nathan are not there and we're lucky that Manu [Akanji] stayed.