Pep Guardiola has revealed that 2024 Baron de Orle winner Rodri has another set-off in his bid to return to Full Fitness.
The Spanish midfielder ruled out him for most of his 2024/25 campaign after a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury last September.
He made a comeback with a seven-minute cameo in the penultimate game of the city’s season, beating Bournemouth 3-1, and featured in all four fixtures for the FIFA Club World Cup.
But Guardiola now says he suffered another injury in the round of 16 defeats against Al Giral in the American tournament.
“Rodri is getting better, but he suffered a major injury in his final match against Al Hilal,” Guardiola said.
“He has trained better over the last few days.
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“He’s confident” – Guardiola says Rodri can return from an ACL injury by the end of the season
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“Hopefully he will be really healthy after an international break.
“In these games, he can play for a few minutes, but the key is that Rodri doesn’t feel pain because he doesn’t want to get hurt. We try hard to avoid that.
“He’s been training with us for the last two sessions, which is good.”
Which games does Rodri miss?
City hopes to return to the top of English football after giving up the Premier League title in Liverpool’s first half.
To do this you will need the best player to run to the ground.
Rodri’s latest injury retreat will hit their hopes for a strong start to the season, but how many games will the midfielder miss?
Guardiola did not reveal the type of injury Rodri suffered.
However, he confirmed that the city was not rushing him, and that he would not return to full fitness until after the initial first international break.
If that remains, the 29-year-old misses his team opening three gears for the Premier League season.
The city is set to take over the wolves away from home in the campaign opening game before their home game with Tottenham and a trip to Brighton.
Rodri’s national team, Spain, will face Bulgaria and Turkey in the UEFA World Cup qualifiers at the beginning of September.
