Manchester City's key midfielder, Rodri, has suffered an injury setback that will delay his return to full fitness, according to manager Pep Guardiola. The Spanish international, who endured a significant absence last season due to a ruptured ACL, experienced a fresh issue during the Club World Cup.
Rodri's 2024-25 season was largely disrupted after he sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury against Arsenal in September. He made a comeback as a substitute in the Premier League and participated in all four Club World Cup matches. Unfortunately, he was subbed off during the Al-Hilal game with a reported groin problem, setting back his recovery.
While Guardiola hopes to utilize Rodri in the upcoming matches against Wolves, Tottenham, and Brighton, the manager emphasized that the club will prioritize his long-term well-being. The risk of aggravating the injury is simply not worth it. Guardiola stated, "Rodri is getting better, but he had a big injury in the last game against Al-Hilal. He has trained better in the last few days. Hopefully after the international break, he will be really fit."
Guardiola added, "Hopefully, in these games, he can play some minutes, but what is important is that he doesn’t have pain because we don’t want Rodri coming back injured. We will try desperately to avoid that. He has been training the last two sessions with us and that’s good."
Manchester City has reinforced its midfield this summer with the additions of Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, and Sverre Nypan, but Rodri's presence remains crucial. Since his debut in August 2019, Man City's win percentage stands at 73.2% with him in the starting lineup, a figure that drops to 61.7% when he is absent.
Furthermore, the team's offensive and defensive statistics are also impacted by Rodri's availability. With him on the field, Man City averages 2.5 goals per game and concedes 0.8, compared to 2.2 goals scored and 1.0 conceded without him.
