Overview

• Stones has dismissed speculation over his future, insisting he loves the club and will compete for more trophies in his last contracted year
• The 31-year-old is available again after missing large parts of 2024-25 and sitting out the Club World Cup to protect his fitness
• He says the squad has rediscovered the “fire in our bellies” during pre-season as City aim to reclaim the Premier League crown
• Guardiola’s £300 million summer recruitment has brought in Rayan Cherki, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders, intensifying competition for places
• Stones’s ability to operate across defence and midfield offers tactical flexibility as City seek to bounce back from their first top-three finish in five years