Rodri Faces Delay in Return to Full Fitness, Says Guardiola

Rodri Faces Delay in Return to Full Fitness, Says Guardiola

Rodri suffered his serious knee injury in a game against Arsenal last September

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that midfielder Rodri is still recovering from injury and is unlikely to be fully match-fit until after the September international break.

The Spanish international missed most of the 2024–25 season due to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, which he sustained in September last year.

After a long recovery, Rodri made his return to action late last season, appearing as a substitute in City’s second-to-last league match against Bournemouth.

The 29-year-old also featured during City’s summer trip to the Club World Cup in the United States, where the club exited the tournament in the round of 16 following a loss to Al-Hilal. Rodri was introduced in the second half of that match but had to leave the pitch during extra time with what appeared to be a groin problem.

Speaking about Rodri's current condition, Guardiola said:

“Rodri is getting better but he had a big injury in the last game against Al-Hilal. He has trained better in the last few days. Hopefully after the international break, he will be really fit.”

City begin their new Premier League season away to Wolves on 16 August, followed by fixtures against Tottenham and Brighton before the first international break of the campaign.

Guardiola indicated that Rodri might get limited minutes in those early games but stressed the importance of a cautious approach:

“Hopefully in these games, he can play some minutes, but what is important is that he doesn't have pain because we don't want Rodri coming back injured. We will try desperately to avoid that.”

The manager added that Rodri had trained in the last two sessions with the squad, which he described as a promising sign.