Manchester City are facing a major blow after their key player Rodri underwent surgery in Madrid and will miss the rest of the season. Namely, the Spanish midfielder injured the anterior cruciate ligaments of the knee, and the injury also included the meniscus.
Coach Pep Guardiola confirmed this difficult news at the press conference: “Rodri underwent surgery today, I think he also injured the meniscus. Next season is what we are focusing on now. Unfortunately, we got the worst news, but that’s how it is. Sometimes, unfortunately, that happens. We are here to support him and help him recover well, step by step.”
Rodri was injured during the derby against Arsenal (2:2) when he collided with Thomas Partey. His absence will affect the team, given that he played a key role in the title win last season and that City suffered all three Premier League defeats when Rodri was out of the squad.
At the time of the injury, Rodri criticized the overload of players and the expanding competition calendar, indicating that the players could decide to go on strike. Guardiola emphasized the importance of Rodrigo for the team: “What he gives us, we don’t have a similar player. We will have to adapt and find a way to play without him.”
Rodri, who was one of the main contenders for the Ballon d’Or this year due to his outstanding performances at the club and success with the Spanish national team at the European Championship, will also miss the upcoming match against Newcastle, as will Kevin De Bruyne.
Guardiola added: “These are months without such an important player, everyone knows that.” But we have great players and we will find a solution.”
This difficult moment for Manchester City will further test the strength and depth of the squad in the coming challenges.