Stones tipped to make full Inter debut against former Man City teammate De Bruyne
Quick summary
John Stones is expected to make his first full Inter Milan start against Napoli, facing former Manchester City teammate Kevin De Bruyne.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceAll of the major sports outlets in Italy are tipping England international John Stones to make his first Serie A start when Inter take on Napoli in San Siro on Saturday evening, and he could go head-to-head against his long-term former Manchester City teammate Kevin De Bruyne in one of the weekend’s stand-out clashes.
Stones in line to make full Inter debut against Napoli According to the likes of Sky Sport Italia , La Gazzetta dello Sport and the Corriere dello Sport , Stones is likely to be included in Cristian Chivu’s starting line-up for the first time since joining on a free transfer at the end of his 10-year Manchester City spell earlier this summer.
MILAN, ITALY – AUGUST 22: John Stones of Internazionale looks on before the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AC Monza at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on August 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images) The 94-time England international has come off the bench in the closing stages of Inter’s first two Serie A matches of the season – the 4-1 win over Monza and last weekend’s 1-0 victory away against Cagliari – but is still waiting for his full competitive debut in Nerazzurri colours.
That is likely to come on Saturday at home against Napoli, who will be without star midfielder Scott McTominay, unavailable as he prepares to have a minor procedure on his heart . Fellow England internationals Djed Spence and Curtis Jones could also be involved, but are not expected to start this weekend.
Stones’s former Manchester City colleague De Bruyne is expected to be involved for Napoli, but Saturday’s pre-match reports indicate that Antonio Vergara is likely to start over the Belgian instead of McTominay in Massimiliano Allegri’s midfield three.
GENOA, ITALY – AUGUST 22: Kevin De Bruyne of Napoli looks on during the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and SSC Napoli at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on August 22, 2026 in Genoa, Italy. (Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images) Click here to read more about how today’s teams could line up.
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What happened
John Stones, who joined Inter Milan from Manchester City, is being tipped to make his full debut for the club in their Serie A clash against Napoli. The fixture carries extra narrative weight as it would pit Stones against Kevin De Bruyne, his former teammate at Manchester City who now plays for Napoli. The match is a high-profile Serie A encounter between two title contenders, and Stones' availability would add a new dimension to Inter's squad.
Chance analysis
If John Stones is passed fit to start, Inter would add a Champions League-winning centre-back to their back line at a critical stage of the Serie A season. The personal angle of Stones facing Kevin De Bruyne, a player he shared a dressing room with at Manchester City, adds a compelling subplot to an already significant top-of-the-table clash. Inter's defensive depth has been a talking point, and integrating Stones into the starting XI would be a statement of intent from the Nerazzurri.
Stones' likely full debut strengthens Inter Milan's defensive options for a key Serie A fixture against Napoli.