Manchester City, the reigning Premier League champions for the past four seasons, officially confirmed on Wednesday that their Spanish international midfielder Rodri has suffered a knee ligament injury. The injury occurred during the top-of-the-table clash against Arsenal, which ended in a 2-2 draw on Sunday.
The club stated in an official announcement, “The assessment is ongoing to determine the full extent of the injury and the expected diagnosis.”
Rodri, 28, was forced to leave the pitch during the match against Arsenal after falling to the ground clutching his right knee. Reports earlier this week suggested that the midfielder might miss the remainder of the season.
City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, addressed the situation following their 2-1 victory over Watford in the third round of the League Cup on Tuesday night. “Rodri will be out for a long time. There are some opinions suggesting it could be less than we expect, but unfortunately, he is injured. We are currently waiting for final calls from him and the doctors to understand the exact nature of the injury and the type of surgery he might need,” Guardiola said.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager acknowledged that Rodri’s absence is a significant blow to the team, but he remains confident that City can continue to compete at the highest level. “We will have a good season. I have great confidence in my players. I must find a solution,” Guardiola added.
He continued, “Rodri is irreplaceable. When you don’t have the best midfielder in the world for a long period, it’s obviously a huge setback, but it’s my duty to find a way for us to remain competitive as we have been for many years. When a player is irreplaceable, we must work as a team, and that’s what will happen.”
Rodri, who played a pivotal role in Manchester City’s Premier League triumph last season and led Spain to victory in the 2024 European Championship, is considered a strong contender for this year’s Ballon d’Or. He has only lost one of his last 84 games with both City and the Spanish national team.
