Rodri sustained a groin injury in Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Arsenal, but manager Josep Guardiola provided an update ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Burnley.
Manager Pep Guardiola will be without several key players (Image: Hayters TV)
Rodri and Ruben Dias have been ruled out of the crucial clash between Manchester City and Burnley due to injury. Manager Josep Guardiola confirmed on Wednesday that the duo will be absent as City aim to finish top of the Premier League.
Sunday’s 2-1 win over Arsenal meant they had the title race in their hands, but it didn’t come without a price. Rodri was substituted in the 88th minute with a groin injury. Although scans showed the problem was not serious, the midfielder will not be able to return in time to play against Burnley and could miss Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Southampton.
“I don’t think he’ll be ready for tomorrow and we’ll see in the next game,” Guardiola told a pre-match press conference. “Maybe (he) will be back in the semi-final against Southampton or in 12 or 13 days against Everton.”
Guardiola added that Dias was “not ready yet” after sustaining a hamstring injury in last month’s Champions League match against Real Madrid. Dias remains sidelined along with fellow defender Josko Gvardiol, who is recovering from a broken leg.
World Cup Legends: The stars of soccer’s biggest tournament in history – buy the special edition now
read more: Josep Guardiola on way to leaving Man City for international work: ‘Dreaming costs nothing’read more: Nico O’Reilly issues Arsenal challenge to Man City team-mate as Hong Kong reunion announced
Rodri has started each of City’s last 11 Premier League games, helping them close the gap on Arsenal. Alongside Bernardo Silva, the Spaniard was outstanding against Arsenal. “Both were really important in the recent games,” praised Guardiola.
“They both have a lot of experience and they have a man-marking team personality. They’re not young players anymore. They’re experienced players who have played a lot of these kinds of games and know how they have to play. They were exceptional.”
Will Manchester City beat Burnley? Let us know your predictions in the comments section.
Rodri left injured against Arsenal (Image: Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal will have been top of the table for 200 days by the time City travel to Turf Moor, but Guardiola says the feat proves the magnitude of their task. “It means how good they have been and how consistent they have been,” City said.
“It’s a game where we want to get the same points as them. Both teams know they can’t lose or drop points, otherwise it will be difficult to recover. Our calendar is very tough.”
Guardiola also urged his players not to be complacent when they face Scott Parker’s side, who will officially be relegated to the Championship if they lose. “We talked about it right after the game. Let’s not lose concentration,” he added. “Arsenal are top of the league and now they will be champions. The recovery is much less than the last two weeks. It’s only two days.”
Rodri and Ruben Dias will not play against Burnley (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
“That’s why we have to see how people are recovering. It was a tough game, mentally and physically. But at the same time, there are still six games left. We know exactly what’s going to happen, when it’s going to be a result or not.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
