John Stones closing in on Manchester City return

John Stones is close to returning for Manchester City after more than two months on the sidelines.

The England centre-back has not featured since City’s 5-4 victory at Fulham in the Premier League on December 2 because of a thigh injury.

Stones returned to training earlier this month and news of his progress gives City a lift ahead of their return clash with the Cottagers at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

“John is back,” said manager Pep Guardiola at a press conference. “He is fit, I would say.”

Guardiola also confirmed fellow defender Abdukodir Khusanov has been cleared to play after taking a blow to the head in Sunday’s dramatic victory at Liverpool.

City’s 2-1 success at Anfield, secured with a stoppage-time Erling Haaland penalty, effectively kept their title hopes alive.

A draw would have left them eight points behind leaders Arsenal with 13 games remaining.

The manner of the victory – after a run of just one win in the previous six games – could now help generate some much-needed momentum.

For Guardiola, however, the focus is on ensuring that his side’s recent tendency to drop off in the second half of games is eliminated.

He said: “Every time in the last month, last weeks, when I go for interviews, always (they say) if you lose you are losing everything and going to disappear from planet Earth!

“For me it is what do we have to do to beat Fulham? What do we have to do to make the second half closer to the first? What is the reason why we are still dropping our performances?

“If we don’t improve that, we will not win.”

Beating Fulham would cut Arsenal’s advantage to three points ahead of the Gunners’ trip to Brentford on Thursday.

City face Salford in the FA Cup on Saturday but then have full-week gap before their next two fixtures.

City have not had a free midweek since December.

Guardiola said: “We have a long week before Newcastle and then a long week for Leeds. That (is something) we need desperately after this incredible run of games of three or four months with few players.”