Manchester City midfielder Rodri will be out for a “long time” and will need surgery, manager Pep Guardiola has revealed.
The influential Spain international suffered the injury during Sunday’s 2-2 Premier League draw with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.
The 28-year-old is currently undergoing evaluation at Barcelona and a full prognosis is not yet available.
There have also been reports that the reasons behind the delay are unknown, but while the problem is clearly serious, Guardiola is hoping it is not that serious.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri was forced off in the first half of the 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday.
The city manager said, “There’s nothing definitive yet. He’s going to be out for a long time, quite a while, but there’s also some speculation that it’s going to be less than we’re expecting.
“Unfortunately, he has been injured. Right now, I can’t say (how long it will take) because we are waiting for the final call from him and the doctors. We want to know exactly what he is suffering from and what kind of surgery he will have to have.”
Guardiola: Losing ‘irreplaceable’ Rodri a huge blow
Guardiola admitted Rodri left a big void.
He said: “We don’t want this to happen, but we will still have a good season. I have a lot of trust in the players and I have a duty to find a solution.
“Rodri is irreplaceable and the team will not be playing with the best midfielder in the world for a long time. It is a big blow for us, of course.
“But it’s football, it happened and my job is to find a solution and be competitive like we have been for many years.”
Rodri was forced off in the first half of the draw with Arsenal after going down without contact and appeared to be in tears before leaving the pitch.
Manchester City drew with a 10-man Arsenal side, with John Stones’ stoppage-time goal keeping them two points behind league leaders the Gunners.
Rodri made his first Premier League start of the season as Manchester City look to manage his workload after winning Euro 2024 with Spain in the summer.
According to FIFPRO, he rested just 22 days last season due to commitments for club and country.
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Manchester City vs Arsenal Premier League Match Highlights
Last week, Rodrigo said there was a possibility of a players’ strike as the match schedule continues to expand and demands on players increase.
“I think we’re getting close to that point. If you ask any player, I think he’ll say the same thing. It’s not Rodri’s opinion or anything like that. I think it’s the general opinion of the players.
“I don’t know what will happen, but it’s something I’m worried about because we are the ones who are suffering.”
Rodri has made 260 appearances in all competitions for Manchester City since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2019, helping them win four league titles and the 2023 Champions League.
How will Rodri’s injury impact the title race?
Sky Sports’ Genie Boswell:
Despite all the debate and deliberation over the key issue in Sunday’s title race, Rodri’s injury could be the event that will have the biggest impact on the rest of the season.
Rodri was arguably City’s most influential figure during the latter stages of Pep Guardiola’s tenure.
Since he started in February 2023, Man City have not lost a Premier League game. Four of the 11 games he has missed have ended in defeat.
The champions will be without him for an extended period for the first time since his move from Atletico Madrid in 2019.
Guardiola has a replacement for Rodri, with Mateo Kovacic the man who is the bedrock of the midfield. But City will undoubtedly be weaker without the 28-year-old.
It is no coincidence that City have won four consecutive titles with Rodri almost always present. He is the heart of the team.
Manchester City’s remaining fixtures for 2024
Newcastle (A) – Premier League – Saturday 28 September
Slovan Bratislava (A) – Champions League – Tuesday, October 1
Fulham (H) – Premier League – Saturday 5 October
Wolves (A) – Premier League – Sunday 20 October, live Sky Sports
Sparta Prague (H) – Champions League – Wednesday, October 23
Southampton (H) – Premier League – Saturday 26 October
Bournemouth (A) – Premier League – Saturday 2 November
Sporting Lisbon (A) – Champions League – Tuesday, November 5
Brighton (A) – Premier League – Saturday 9th November, live Sky Sports
Tottenham (H) – Premier League – Saturday 23 November, live Sky Sports
Feyenoord (H) – Champions League – Tuesday, November 26
Liverpool (A) – Premier League – Sunday 1 December, live Sky Sports
Nottingham Forest (H) – Premier League – Wednesday 4 December
Crystal Palace (A) – Premier League – Saturday 7 December
Juventus (A) – Champions League – Wednesday, December 11
Manchester United (H) – Premier League – Saturday 14 December
Aston Villa (A) – Premier League – Saturday 21 December
Everton (H) – Premier League – Thursday 26 December
Leicester City (A) – Premier League – Sunday 29 December
