Rodri out ‘for a long time’ but Man City waits to learn extent of knee injury, Guardiola says

By: Steve Douglas, The Associated Press Posted: 4:06 AM CDT Tuesday, Sep. 24, 2024 Last Modified: 4:44 PM CDT Tuesday, Sep. 24, 2024

Advertise with us

MANCHESTER, England - Manchester City midfielder Rodri will be sidelined “for a long time” with a right knee injury, manager Pep Guardiola said Tuesday, but the club is waiting to discover the severity of the problem sustained against Arsenal in the Premier League over the weekend.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/09/2024 (740 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MANCHESTER, England – Manchester City midfielder Rodri will be sidelined “for a long time” with a right knee injury, manager Pep Guardiola said Tuesday, but the club is waiting to discover the severity of the problem sustained against Arsenal in the Premier League over the weekend.

Rodri, who is among the favorites to win the Ballon d’Or for 2024, flew to Spain on Monday to undergo tests. Sections of the British media have reported that the Spain international has suffered an ACL injury.

Guardiola was asked about Rodri’s condition after City’s 2-1 win over Watford in the English League Cup late Tuesday and said the club should know more on Wednesday.

Manchester City's Rodri attends a press conference at the City Football Academy in Manchester, England, Tuesday Sept. 17, 2024. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

“There’s some opinions that it will be less than we expect,” Guardiola said. “We’re waiting for the last phone calls from the doctors to know exactly what definitely he has and the type of surgery he has to get.”

Rodri limped off in the 20th minute of the 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Etihad Stadium on Sunday after hurting his right knee when jostling with Arsenal’s Thomas Partey in the box at a corner.

If Rodri is missing for a long period of time, it seriously damages City’s chances of winning the Premier League for a record-extending fifth straight season. City leads the league by a point after five games.

Rodri is arguably City’s most important player because of how he protects the defense and conducts the team’s passing game.

Guardiola’s team has not lost any of the last 48 Premier League games in which Rodri has featured. His only defeat last season in any competition was the FA Cup final loss to Manchester United in May.

Manchester City's Rodri receives treatment during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

“He is the best holding midfielder in the world. I would say he is a potential Ballon d’Or winner,” Guardiola said of Rodri on Sunday.

Just last week, Rodri said top players could soon go on strike because of the number of games they are being asked to play as new competitions are introduced to an already-packed soccer calendar and matches are added to existing tournaments.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer