Man City confirm Rodri injury: Is Guardiola facing the biggest challenge of his managerial career? | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola is known for his exceptional problem-solving skills. But does Manchester City‘s current situation present him with his most challenging puzzle yet?

Twenty minutes into his first Premier League start of the season, Rodri, arguably the English champions’ most important player, went down — and not for the first time against Arsenal, having clashed with Kai Havertz in the opening seconds. This time, however, he would be subbed off.

It was confirmed on Wednesday morning that Rodri has damaged his knee ligament. The extent wasn’t specified but Guardiola previously suggested the midfielder will need surgery and be out for a “long, long time.”

There is a semblance of irony as the Spanish midfielder had, days earlier, lamented football’s growing fixture congestion and subsequently warned that it could lead to players becoming susceptible to injuries.

Indeed, Rodri started more matches (50) than any of his teammates in the 2023/24 season, while he also played the most minutes (4,325). He then played for Spain at Euro 2024, starting six of their seven matches before suffering an injury and being withdrawn at half-time in the final against England.

Guardiola will now be without a player he sees as “a potential Ballon d’Or winner” and “the best holding midfielder in the world.”

It’s a position Pep knows all too well, having been the fulcrum of Johan Cruyff’s domineering Barcelona side. Like his Dutch mentor, he embraced the importance of the number six role and has coached some of modern football’s best examples: Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, and Fernandinho. Like Rodri, they were the heartbeat of those successful teams. But perhaps unlike Rodri, none were the most important player at Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Man City.

Rodri was the only City player in the Premier League to average more than 100 successful passes per game (103) last season. No one saw as much of the ball as he did, with his 126 touches per 90 minutes, 24 more than any of his teammates in the competition. He also led the Premier League rankings for open-play sequence involvements per 90 (2,000+ mins played), with 8.4.

At the time of his substitution, City were leading 1-0 against Arsenal and in control. Just 43 seconds later, they conceded an equaliser through Riccardo Calafiori’s superb goal and then fell behind shortly before half-time.

Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, particularly the latter, have a solid case to be their club’s MVP, though City survived injuries to both players last season and won the league. Doing the same without Rodri might be a very different story.

This is not to lessen Haaland’s contributions, which are otherworldly and staggering, or De Bruyne’s. But it is Rodri who sets the table, allowing those around him to thrive.

Since 2019, Rodri has been English football’s closest thing to an ever-present outfielder. He has also made 50 national team appearances for Spain during that timeframe.

City are unbeaten in the last 52 league games Rodri has played. In the nine games they were without him last season, they lost four times.

City’s points-per-game without Rodri is also a cause for concern among. They average 1.90 points per game when Rodri is missing. If that is continued, City would finish 2024-25 with 76 points. Only once has this been enough to win the league, when Manchester United finished 1996-97 with 75.

How do Man City cope without Rodri?

But to say a Rodri-less City cannot be champions is somewhat fatalist, of course. Guardiola is a proven tinkerer in terms of formation, systems, and personnel. One possible solution has been operating in plain sight.

Matchday five of this Premier League season was actually Rodri’s first start. He missed their opening three games (due to the aforementioned hamstring injury picked up in Berlin). He was an unused substitute in the West Ham win before making a 45-minute cameo off the bench against Brentford.

Despite going behind at some stage of each of their home matches, City has accumulated seven points from losing positions. Rodri’s absence hasn’t completely stunted their performances, but greater challenges lie ahead starting at Newcastle this weekend.

During games right now, City predominantly switch between 3-2-4-1 and 3-4-2-1. In both instances Mateo Kovacic fills the Rodri role alongside Rico Lewis, performing the hybrid full-back-midfielder role that has become en vogue.

Having a player of Kovačić’s experience and technical calibre softens the blow of losing Rodri for an extended period. The Croatian international is performing as one of the league’s best number sixes, much to his manager’s delight.

It was reported earlier this season that Guardiola instructed Kovačić to study videos to improve his defensive game. Doing so would allow him to cover Rodri when the Euro 2024 winner needs a rest.

Kovacic explained: “The positioning – to stay, to cover, to not get caught up with the ball – is a thing I have to improve. What is asked of the No.6 is to hold the position, to stay there and to not get too much involved in going everywhere, which is sometimes difficult for a guy that is used to going.

“The manager obviously explains and we are watching on video so we know what we have to do. I like when I have support because I haven’t played so much there on my own. I think it’s more difficult because you have to cover the space better because you’re on your own, you’re not in a two.”

There’s also the forthcoming winter transfer window, of course.

Martín Zubimendi, who came on for Rodri in the Euro 2024 final and finished what his compatriot started, was close to joining Liverpool before his change of heart. He chose to stay at his boyhood club, but a chance to work under Guardiola, about whom his former coach Alonso waxes lyrical, and continue to learn from Rodri could prove a tantalizing prospect if City approaches him in January.

If there’s a like-for-like replacement, Zubimendi is perhaps the closest with his own strengths. This probably explains why ‘Zubimendi in January’ was trending on X after reports of Rodri’s knee injury leaked out.

However, January transfers are something City rarely do. Plus, with Rodri likely back for next season, a large investments make less sense.

The presence of three central defenders behind City’s midfield can also alleviate the loss of Rodri’s ball-playing capabilities, too. Manuel Akanji, John Stones, Rúben Dias, and Josko Gvardiol are not a bad pool to draw from, with all being exemplary in moving into midfield as an extra playmaker and distributing effectively.

It might not be possible to replace Rodri, especially since he’s a one-of-a-kind player. Instead, Guardiola may have to maximize his players’ talents — such as the Stones, ‘Barnsley Beckenbauer’, a returning Ilkay Gundogan also helps in this regard — which could force him to get creative, Guardiola may need to find new ways to utilize his players’ strengths.

The good news is that he has a decent track record in this category, but this would undoubtedly be his most significant test. If he passes it, this will go down as one of Guardiola’s finest triumphs.

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