John Stones, the Manchester City defender, has missed England training on Wednesday due to illness. This comes as a setback for the team as they prepare for their Euro 2024 opener against Serbia on Sunday. All 26 players took part in a training session on Tuesday, but Stones was absent from the session on Wednesday, which was conducted in front of several hundred German locals at the Weimarer Land Spa and Golf resort in Blankenhain.

Stones has had a stop-start build-up to the tournament, having been withdrawn at half-time during England’s friendly against Iceland last Friday due to an ankle problem. Although his injury seemed to have eased, his illness now poses a concern for head coach Gareth Southgate, who is set to name Stones in his line-up for the Serbia match.

READ ALSO

Southgate’s Goal Machine: England’s Best Chance for Euro 2024 Glory

Euro 2024: Absent Stars Set to Miss Tournament

Stones is likely to start alongside Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi at the heart of England’s defense, and his absence from training will be a blow to Southgate as he makes his final preparations for the Serbia game. The defender has struggled with fitness issues this season, making only 16 Premier League appearances for Manchester City due to a hip problem that kept him out for the first two months of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Manchester United defender Luke Shaw is expected to be fit for England’s second Group C game against Denmark on June 20, after missing large parts of the season with a hamstring injury.