Manchester City’s Rodri out until mid-September after injury
Manchester City midfielder Rodri will be out of action until at least mid-September after suffering a significant injury during the Club World Cup against Al Hilal. Manager Pep Guardiola confirmed the Spaniard will only return after the international break, prioritising full recovery over an early comeback.
Guardiola Opts for Caution
Rodri has been undergoing an individual recovery programme at City’s Football Academy, avoiding high-impact work while strengthening the affected muscle. Despite participating in some full training sessions, he was left out of the friendly in Palermo and will miss the Premier League opener against Wolverhampton.
Guardiola hinted that the midfielder could make limited appearances against Tottenham and Brighton, but stressed the plan is to hold him back until after the September international break to reduce the risk of relapse.
Coach’s Assessment
“Rodri is improving, but he suffered a serious injury in the last match against Al Hilal,” Guardiola said. “He’s trained better in recent days; I hope he’ll be truly fit after the international break. The important thing is that he’s not in pain because we don’t want him to come back injured.”
Other Absentees
City’s squad for the Palermo friendly was also missing Phil Foden, Josko Gvardiol, and teenage prospect Claudio Echeverri. Foden and Gvardiol are expected to be available for the Wolves clash, while Echeverri’s situation remains uncertain amid loan speculation and Champions League registration considerations.
