Manchester City get major boost ahead of crucial match

Manchester City have got a major injury boost as their defender John Stones returned to fitness.

The England international, who was out with injury for two months, makes his comeback at the right time for Pep Guardiola's side, as they will face Fulham in a crucial Premier League match on Wednesday.

Stones last featured for City in a 5-4 victory over Fulham in the English top flight on 2 December, having sustained a thigh injury.

He started training earlier this month, and manager Guardiola confirmed that he is back.

"John is back," Guardiola stated at a press conference. "He is fit, I would say."

Fellow defender Abdukodir Khusanov, who suffered a head injury during the victory against Liverpool on Sunday, has also been cleared to play.

City's Erling Haaland converted a stoppage-time penalty to give his side a 2-1 victory at Anfield, narrowing the gap with Premier League leaders Arsenal to six points and breathing new life into the title race.

Before the win against Liverpool, Manchester City had just one win in their six previous matches.

Despite the win, Guardiola is focused on addressing his team's recent tendency to lose in the second half of games.

He expressed his frustration, saying: "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."