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John Stones managed 80 minutes for England against Wales on Thursday night but the Manchester City defender did suffer an injury scare.
There weren't many nervous moments for England as they strolled to a 3-0 win against Wales at Wembley on Thursday, but one emerged early in the second half when John Stones went down in his own six-yard box.
The concern in the commentary box went up a level when it became clear that Stones was down after England had dealt with a dangerous moment from the Welsh. The Manchester City man has been through his injury issues in the last couple of years and said this week that he had even considered retiring last season.
He has missed only two club games so far this season with a minor problem and has looked to be back on track, but when he seemed to jar his leg into the turf and stayed down, hearts were skipping a beat. England's medical team took their time to treat the 31-year-old.
Thankfully, he only seemed to jar his leg and didn't cause any muscle damage. He was able to play on and was only withdrawn by Thomas Tuchel 10 minutes from full-time. Stones will now hope to make his first competitive England appearance in a year against Latvia on Tuesday.
That will be another tick for the 84-cap defender and maybe further proof that his fitness issues really are behind him, but the concern that enveloped Wembley as he lay on the turf is also a reminder that he now has a reputation as someone susceptible to injury, whether that is fair or not.
All of this is relevant for Stones as he seeks to earn a new contract at the Etihad, with his current deal due to expire at the end of the season. He might no longer be first-choice in Pep Guardiola's defence, but he is an outstanding back-up centre-back and can also do an excellent job at right-back.
The Barnsley-born defender will have just turned 32 when his contract expires, and any deal is likely to keep him at the club until he's 34, at least. You can understand if City wants a little further proof that those injury issues are behind him.
That's why every time Stones goes down and stays down, there will be whispers of concern and glances to the dugout. It was a false alarm on Thursday, but it did sum up the issue for him at the moment.
If Stones comes through the World Cup qualifier in Riga, he is likely to be back on the bench for the Blues against former club Everton on Saturday. He was linked with a return to the Toffees in the summer, and he would be an outstanding free transfer for a number of Premier League clubs next year.
However, on the strength of what we've seen so far, in terms of performances and availability, he still has plenty more to offer City.
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