John Stones forced off in first Inter Milan start as Cristian Chivu provides update

Inter Milan manager Cristian Chivu has confirmed John Stones "felt something in his flexor" that necessitated his withdrawal during a 5-3 victory against Udinese . The former Manchester City center-back was making his maiden start on Monday following his move to the Italian champions but departed the San Siro early due to a suspected problem.

Stones pulled up while pursuing Keinan Davis and gestured to the bench before subsequently being substituted by Benjamin Pavard .

Curtis Jones also entered the match when Stones departed, with the former Liverpool midfielder enjoying an impressive beginning at Inter compared to the latter and fellow Englishman Djed Spence , as per the Manchester Evening News .

The ex-Tottenham Hotspur fullback has yet to appear due to injury, while both Jones and Stones delivered respectable performances against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League last week.

Stones may now face a period on the treatment table, with his fitness concerns during his final campaigns at City suggesting it's improbable he'll recover quickly. Inter will travel to face AS Roma in their last match before the international break.

The break could prove invaluable for rest and recovery, though Thomas Tuchel will almost certainly want him involved in England 's Nations League fixtures against Spain , Croatia , and the Czech Republic twice.

Stones has been utilized in the center of a back three, with Chivu previously highlighting the experience he and Jones bring to the side, having made history for Inter in the victory over Cagliari as the first occasion the club fielded two English players simultaneously.

He stated in late August: "They're experienced players who are comfortable playing under pressure in certain matches. I have nothing to reproach them for their attitude, they are two exemplary guys who give everything and I'm happy to have them."

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Multiple Premier League clubs expressed interest in securing the 32-year-old's signature at the expiration of his City contract before Inter entered the picture and quickly convinced Stones to make the move.

Having claimed countless honors during his decade under Pep Guardiola, Stones was gradually eased out of the setup, with January signing Marc Guehi appearing to have taken his place.

Bernardo Silva also departed on a free transfer to Real Madrid, while City generated revenue through the sales of Savio to Tottenham, Rodri to Barcelona , and Tijjani Reijnders to Al-Qadsiah, among numerous other notable departures.

City's financial flexibility enabled them to splash out on Enzo Fernandez and Iliman Ndiaye , both of whom proved instrumental in their commanding Manchester derby triumph, despite losing Phil Foden to a red card in just the 23rd minute.

Erling Haaland struck the decisive goal in contentious circumstances, with Fernandez escaping an offside ruling despite visibly attempting to play the ball while positioned beyond the last defender.