City manager Guardiola says Rodri’s knee ligament injury will be a ‘big blow’ to the club’s performance this season.
Manchester City’s midfielder Rodri has suffered a ligament injury in his right knee and will be consulting a specialist in Spain to gauge the full extent of its severity, the Premier League club confirmed.
The 28-year-old Spain international limped off the pitch in the first half of City’s 2-2 Premier League draw with Arsenal on Sunday. Reports earlier this week said he could miss the rest of the season.
Following City’s League Cup win over Watford on Tuesday, coach Pep Guardiola said the midfielder will be out for a “long time”.
“Manchester City can confirm that Rodri has suffered a ligament injury to his right knee,” City said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The midfielder travelled to Spain to seek specialist consultation this week, following initial tests in Manchester. Assessment remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the injury and expected prognosis.
“Everyone at the club wishes him a speedy recovery.”
Rodri, named the best player at this year’s European Championship, which he won with Spain, has been key to Guardiola’s success at the helm of the Premier League champions.
Since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2019, Rodri has played 174 Premier League games for the club and has finished on the losing side only 19 times in that period, with 129 wins.
His absence will be a blow to City, who are looking to win a fifth straight Premier League title this season and are top of the standings with 13 points from five games.
Guardiola said he had the responsibility to find a way of coping without the midfielder.
“Rodri is irreplaceable,” Guardiola said after City’s 2-1 win over Watford in the League Cup on Tuesday.
“When a team doesn’t play with the best midfielder in the world for a long, long time of course it is a big blow but my duty is to find a solution so that we remain competitive as we have been for many years.
“When one player is irreplaceable you have to do it as a team, and this is going to happen.”
Rodri has been touted as a potential Ballon d’Or winner after his influential role in City’s latest Premier League triumph and Spain’s success at Euro 2024.
