Kompany backs John Stones to come good for Manchester City

Former Manchester City star Vincent Kompany has backed John Stones to come good for the Citizens this term. The England international dropped down the pecking order during the backend of the previous campaign where Aymeric Laporte and Kompany were regularly preferred at the heart of the defence by manager Pep Guardiola.

However, things have changed this season with the departure of Kompany from the club while Laporte could be sidelined for around six months following a knee surgery. As such, Stones and Nicolas Otamendi seem destined to form the central defensive partnership until the turn of the year at the least and Kompany believes the former has the perfect platform to prove himself.

He told Sky Sports: “I’ve always said John is one of the most talented defenders. He’s got such a bright future. He’s already achieved a lot, let’s not forget that. He’s not a young defender anymore that hasn’t got any experience. He’s a multiple Premier League-winning central defender that is growing. The one thing I wish for him is consistency – consistency of games and consistency of fitness – and then he will show the world how good he is.”

Stones has been prone to making the occasional defensive error through a run of games and that has hampered his prospects of cementing a regular starting berth. Elsewhere, he has been troubled with fitness concerns every now and then, and the same has been the case during the beginning of the current campaign where he has missed the past three games with a thigh problem.

Stones and Otamendi are expected to start as the central defensive pair when Manchester City face Norwich City on the road this weekend. The Citizens are currently two points behind Liverpool at the top of the league standings and face another potential battle on their hands to retain the title for the third straight season.

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