Man City are worried.
Rodri sat down on the Brentford pitch on Sunday, just over 20 minutes into the Premier League match. The Manchester City doctors didn't need to check him , as he proactively signaled for a substitution.
A wave of anxiety immediately spread: from the Gtech technical area to the management in East Manchester.
Since tearing his right knee ligament on September 23rd last year, the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner has yet to regain the physical stability required by the demanding intensity of top-level football.
“I’m not sure about the situation, but it looks like a muscle injury,” Pep Guardiola replied when asked about the severity of the injury , which had caused him significant problems last autumn and winter when Rodri was absent.
Rodri himself said before leaving the pitch: "I feel a slight pain in my thigh, but it doesn't seem too serious."
“I have a minor muscle strain, similar to what I experienced in the EURO 2024 final ,” Rodri reassured Man City fans . “ This is part of the recovery process.”
When the press linked it to last year's injury, Rodri denied it. “I don’t think it’s related to my knee, and I didn’t feel any muscle fatigue either. The important thing is that I left the pitch in time to avoid further muscle strain . ”
Rodri even set a goal for the quickest possible return: “ Luckily, with this break, I can focus on recovering so I can be back for the home game against Everton. Once I achieve consistency and play regularly, things will gradually get back to normal.”
Over the past few months, Rodri has often said that the "on the pitch - injury - recovery" cycle is part of the comeback process.
Incredulous future
Rodri's age (29) and physique (1m90 tall, over 80 kg) are both unfavorable factors for the rehabilitation of the joints.
The packed schedule – from the Premier League , the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 , to the World Cup 2026 qualifiers and the Champions League – has made the recovery process impossible to proceed smoothly.
Since his return on May 20th, during the last 7 minutes of the match against Bournemouth, Guardiola has tried to protect his player in two ways: limiting his playing time and deploying additional midfielders to share the workload .
Previously , Rodri had to shoulder the responsibility of playing in midfield alone. But even that wasn't enough to prevent recurring injuries.
Rodri suffered a torn ligament after an exhausting summer, shortly after winning EURO 2024 with Spain. In the 2023/24 season, he played over 70 matches for his club and national team .
According to the FIFPRO players' association, only 14% of players participating in EURO received the 28 days of rest recommended by medical professionals to avoid injury.
A year later, it wasn't the EURO but the Club World Cup that prevented Rodri from having a full pre-season training camp.
The Spanish midfielder gradually returned to playing in the Club World Cup: 30 minutes against Al-Wydad, 30 minutes against Al-Ain, 60 minutes against Juventus, and finally the match against Al-Hilal – where he suffered another muscle tear.
Rodri only returned two months later, in the second round of the Premier League (15 minutes against Tottenham).
Guardiola even rested him for the Burnley match to save his energy for the Champions League away game against Monaco, where Rodri only played 60 minutes.
“I told you so, didn’t I?” Guardiola replied when Sky Sports asked him about Rodri’s recent injury. “When people ask why I don’t let him play the full 90 minutes, why I substitute him early… That’s precisely why. We try to be careful, only letting him play 60-65 minutes per game.”
In City's seven matches this season, Rodri has only completed the full 90 minutes against Brighton and Arsenal in the Premier League. In both games, he received maximum support from Bernardo Silva, aiming to reduce his movement radius and workload.
This "economical approach " even forced Guardiola to adjust his tactics – for example, in the match against Arsenal, City abandoned their high-pressing style, which demands a lot of running, one of the reasons why the Premier League has the highest rate of muscle injuries in Europe, according to UEFA research.
At Emirates, for the first time in his career, Guardiola embraced a defensive style of play, with a possession rate of only 32%. In return, his team became more solid thanks to Rodri's interception and situational awareness.
With Man City considering extending Rodri's contract, the injury has cast further doubt on his future at the Etihad.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/rodri-lai-chan-thuong-man-city-bat-an-2449994.html
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