Man City won’t take risk on ‘suffering’ Rodri’s return

Manchester City midfielder Rodri is “suffering” and “struggling” as he looks for a return to action from hamstring trouble, says manager Pep Guardiola.

The 29-year-old initially picked up the injury when he lasted only 22 minutes at Brentford on 5 October and has seen only one minute of action in the two months since, appearing as a late substitute against Bournemouth on 2 November.

Guardiola maintained the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner is “getting better” and, although he did not specify a timeframe, said Rodri will “be ready in a few weeks”.

But Rodri has struggled to regain full fitness for a prolonged period since missing almost the whole of last season following a serious knee injury in a 2-2 home draw with Arsenal in September 2024.

Guardiola, whose second-placed side host Sunderland on Saturday before a trip to Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, said: “Do you know what it means playing without the best player in the world two seasons ago? Our main player, when we won the Treble and playing 70 games.

“[Then] during one year and a half [years] without him. Do you know what we miss? I want him back now…here.

“He is suffering, he is struggling because he wants to come back, but I want to protect him. I want to be sure right now that we minimise the risk. This is what we want.

A month after his ACL injury, Rodri claimed the Ballon d’Or trophy, awarded to the world’s best footballer of the year, after losing just one game for club and country and helping Spain triumph at the 2024 European Championship.

He returned to action in the penultimate game of the 2024-25 campaign against Bournemouth in May and played in all four games at the Fifa Club World Cup in the United States but endured an injury setback in City’s shock last-16 defeat by Saudi Arabia side Al-Hilal.

Rodri then missed the start of this season and has featured in only eight Premier League and Champions League games so far, playing a total of 415 minutes.

He sat out Tuesday’s thrilling 5-4 victory at Fulham, where Marco Silva’s side threatened an incredible comeback from 5-1 behind.

“Rodri is another level of the players,” added Guardiola. “If Rodri came on for the last 20 minutes against Fulham, put him in the middle and do you know what is the effect? Just his presence, not even touching the ball? The other 10 players feel safe and they play better.

“What will you do, you’re a football player or you are a journalist, over 18 months you cannot do your job. You want to write, you want inspiration and show how good you are and you cannot do it. How do you feel? It feels bad.