Pep Guardiola received welcome news in Florida as John Stones made his long-awaited return to full training ahead of City's Club World Cup opener.
The centre-back joined his teammates for their inaugural session at their Boca Raton base on Friday, marking the end of a lengthy rehabilitation that had cast doubt over his whole City future.
Stones' last competitive appearance came during February's crushing Champions League reverse at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Real Madrid inflicted a 3-1 defeat that knocked City out of Europe. A thigh injury sustained that night in the Spanish capital has kept him sidelined ever since .
Stones' recuperation has been frustratingly slow, with City keeping supporters largely in the dark about his progress. His unexpected inclusion in England's recent training camp in Spain raised eyebrows, though Thomas Tuchel ultimately left him out of the squad that faced Andorra in Barcelona earlier this month.
At 31, Stones endured his most disrupted campaign in years - and that is saying something!! Injury restricted him to a mere half-dozen Premier League starts, with two of those ending prematurely when his body gave way again.
A wonderful footballer, blighted by a constant stream of injuries, Guardiola's defence missed his presence badly. The uncertainty surrounding his fitness sparked rumours about his Etihad future, particularly after Josko Gvardiol's transition from full-back to centre-half during the season's final stretch. The Croatian's partnership with Ruben Dias proved so effective it raised questions about where Stones fits in.
City's four new arrivals also got their first taste of Guardiola's training methods. Goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, wing-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and forward Rayan Cherki all participated in the full session.
The tournament begins in earnest for City when they face Moroccan side Wydad AC in Philadelphia this Wednesday. Further group encounters await against UAE representatives Al Ain in Atlanta and then a far sterner test against Italian giants Juventus in Orlando.