Manchester City’s head coach Pep Guardiola announced on Friday that Rodri will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2024-25 Premier League season due to a knee injury.
Rodri recently underwent surgery to repair his ACL and “some meniscus,” as confirmed by Guardiola. The 28-year-old midfielder sustained the injury during Manchester City’s match against Arsenal, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
“Next season he will be with us. This season is over,” Guardiola stated. “Unfortunately, we received the worst news, but we will support him and progress step by step.”
Initial concerns about Rodri’s injury were validated after he underwent tests in Barcelona earlier this week. The recovery period for such an injury can vary from six months to a year.
Manchester City currently leads the Premier League standings with 13 points from five games, narrowly ahead of both Liverpool and Aston Villa by one point. Arsenal is close behind with 11 points.
This setback is a significant blow to Manchester City’s pursuit of a fifth consecutive Premier League title. Rodri, who excelled both domestically and internationally, was a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or award. He was instrumental in Spain’s victory at Euro 2024, where he was named Player of the Tournament.
“He is the best holding midfielder in the world. I would say he is a potential Ballon d’Or winner,” Guardiola praised him last week.
In addition to missing the Premier League season, Rodri will also be absent from Spain’s UEFA Nations League campaign.
Manchester City will also have to cope without another key midfielder, Kevin De Bruyne, who is sidelined for the upcoming match against Newcastle and may not return until after the international break. De Bruyne has been out of action since being substituted at halftime during the Champions League fixture against Inter Milan.