Manchester City could be without Rodri for the rest of the season after the influential midfielder suffered a serious knee injury in the Premier League game against Arsenal on September 22.
Spain's Ballon d'Or frontrunner went down clutching the back of his right knee midway through the first half of the action-packed 2-2 draw, after he appeared to stumble making a near-post run to attack a right-wing corner.
Rodri was helped from the field by two members of City's medical staff and replaced by Mateo Kovacic, the Croatia midfielder who had a hand in John Stones' dramatic 98th-minute equaliser.
Both City manager Pep Guardiola and defender Manuel Akanji said they were unsure of Rodri's prognosis when asked after the game, but reports by The Athletic and ESPN suggested he had sustained anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage
MORE: All the latest Man City news | Premier League schedule for 2024/25 | Latest Premier League top scorer rankings
Rodri injury updates: Man City confirm ligament damage, unsure on timeframe
A statement issued by City on Wednesday, September 25 stopped short of disclosing the precise nature of Rodri's ligament damage, with further tests needed to determine how long Rodri will be on the sidelines for and decide the next course of action.
The statement read: "Manchester City FC can confirm that Rodri has suffered a ligament injury to his right knee.
"The injury was sustained during the first half of this weekend’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League.
"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."
What did Pep Guardiola say about Rodri's injury?
Speaking after Tuesday's 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Watford, City manager Pep Guardiola said he was similarly waiting to learn the full severity of Rodri's injury, although he confirmed surgery would be required.
“Still we don’t have the definitive [diagnosis] but he will be out for a long time, a while,” Guardiola said. “But there are some opinions that maybe it will be less than we expected.
“Unfortunately, he was injured, but right now I couldn’t tell you. We are waiting for the last phone calls from him and the doctors for what definitely he has and the type of surgery he has to get. We expect that tonight [or] tomorrow we will know exactly.”
Rodri is expected to be treated in Barcelona by Guardiola's preferred surgeon Dr Ramon Cugat, who has taken care of several City stars who have suffered serious injuries in the past. Cugat is a world-renowned specialist when it comes to ACL treatment.
Guardiola has several excellent midfield options to fill in for the Spain international but he described a player of Rodri's vast skillset to be "irreplaceable".
“He’s okay. He is strong, sad, of course, and waiting for the final decision of what he has to do," he said. "We don't want it [the injury], but we will have a good season. I expect a lot from my players and I have a duty to find a solution, even if Rodri is irreplaceable.
"When a team doesn't play with the best midfielder in the world for a long, long time, it is a big blow. But it's football. It happens. And it is my duty to find a solution, be competitive as we have been for many, many years and be there, be a problem for our opponents.”
MORE: How Rodri's injury could impact Man City's EPL and UCL hopes | Five players to replace Rodri in Fantasy Premier League
Rodri injured after suggesting players' strike
Rodri's injury occurred at the end of a week when he said the increased workload on players brought about by the expanding football calendar could force a strike.
“Yes, I think we are close to that. If it keeps this way we will have no other option. It is something that worries us," he said.
“Between 40 and 50 is the amount of games in which a player can perform at the highest level. After that you drop because it is impossible to sustain the physical level. This year we are maybe going to go until 70 or maybe 80. In my humble opinion, I think it is too much.
“Someone has to take care of us because we are the main characters of this, let’s say, sport, or business, whatever you want to call it.
“Not everything is about money or marketing. It is about the quality of the show. In my opinion, when I am not tired I perform better. If people want to see better football then we need to rest.”
Rodri played 4,327 minutes across 50 games for City last season as Guardiola's men retained the Premier League title. If City reach the final of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup — a tournament they qualified for on account of Rodri's winning goal in the 2023 final against Inter Milan — their 2024/25 season will end after 11 months on July 13 next year.
The match against Arsenal was Rodri's first Premier League start of this season after he sustained a hamstring problem during Spain's 2-1 victory over England in the final of Euro 2024.
How serious is Rodri's injury?
The ACL connects the patella (knee) cap to the femur above it and the tibia below. It is widely considered to be one of the worst injuries a football can suffer.
An ACL tear usually takes between six to nine months to heal and footballers can be out for up to a year as they build fitness along with strength mobility and confidence in the joint.
As such, Rodri missing the rest of the European club season, which concludes with the UEFA Champions League final in Munich on May 31, is absolutely feasible.
What is Man City's record without Rodri?
City only lost three Premier League games last season against Wolves, Arsenal and Aston Villa — all matches that Rodri missed through suspension.
The 2-1 loss to Manchester United in May's FA Cup brought to an end his incredible run of 74 matches unbeaten across all competitions.
Guardiola's men have fared better without their talisman during the early stages of this season, winning games against Chelsea, Ipswich Town and West Ham as Rodri sat out, with Kovacic, Bernardo Silva and Rico Lewis patrolling central areas.
Will Rodri win the Ballon d'Or?
Rodri is one of the frontrunners for the Ballon d'Or alongside Real Madrid duo Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior after his influential role in continuing City's Premier League dominance.
The former Atletico Madrid and Villarreal man was also central to Spain's Euro 2024 success, a year on from sealing City's historic treble with his decisive Champions League strike against Inter in Istanbul.
