Manchester City Hit Hard As Key Midfielder Rodri Ruled Out For The Season With Knee Injury

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

Manchester City’s quest for a fifth consecutive Premier League title has been dealt a major setback after influential midfielder Rodri was ruled out for the rest of the season due to a serious knee injury.

The Spanish international suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during City’s recent 2-2 draw against Arsenal and underwent surgery on Friday.

City Manager Pep Guardiola confirmed the bad news during a press conference, revealing that Rodri’s injury also involved damage to his meniscus, requiring immediate surgery.

“He had surgery this morning, ACL and some meniscus,” Guardiola said, adding that “So, next season he will be here. This season is over.”

Rodri’s absence is a significant blow for City, given his pivotal role in the team’s success in recent years. Known for his commanding presence in midfield, Rodri played an instrumental role in City’s Premier League triumph last season, and was also named the player of the tournament at Euro 2024, where Spain emerged as champions.

The City boss described the injury as the “worst news possible,” highlighting Rodri’s importance as an “irreplaceable” figure in the team. “We have to do it as a team and find a way to play during a lot of months without an important player for us,” Guardiola added. “Everybody knows it. Speedy recovery and next season he will compete again.”

Rodri’s impressive unbeaten streak in the Premier League — a run of 52 games dating back to February 2023 — underscores his influence on the team.

His absence will force Guardiola to find alternative solutions within his squad, with players like Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, John Stones, and Manuel Akanji all mentioned as potential replacements in the defensive midfield role.

City, currently sitting atop the Premier League table, also face the challenge of coping without star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who remains sidelined with an injury. The team’s depth will be tested as they seek to continue their domestic dominance and pursue another Champions League crown.

When asked whether City would explore the transfer market in January to reinforce the squad, Guardiola was noncommittal but open to the possibility: “We’ll talk today with Txiki (Begiristain, the director of football). It’s closed until January, so we’ll have time and see potential problems we have, and after we’ll see.”

Rodri’s injury adds to the growing list of concerns over player workload, a topic he himself had recently spoken out about, warning that top players could be “close” to striking due to the packed football calendar.

With City’s title defense now facing a new level of difficulty, the spotlight will be on Guardiola and his “magnificent players” to navigate the challenges ahead without one of their most important stars.