Manchester City receive massive Rodri boost ahead of Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool games | OneFootball

Rodri is back in full first-team training for Manchester City ahead of their Carabao Cup fourth-round clash away at Swansea City this week.

The 29-year-old has spent the last three-and-a-half weeks on the sidelines after sustaining a hamstring injury in Manchester City’s 1-0 win away at Brentford before the October international break.

City have been leaning on Nico Gonzalez to deputise in the number six position in Rodri’s absence this season as the latter looks to rediscover his best self after a difficult 12 months marred by fitness issues.

The Spain international, who led his nation to European Championship glory last summer, ruptured his ACL in Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal in September 2024 and spent nearly the entirety of the recent season on the sidelines.

After making his long-awaited return to action against Bournemouth in May, Rodri went on to progress his recovery at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States in June, where the former Atletico Madrid man suffered a fitness setback that delayed his start to the 2025-26 season.

Missing City’s opening day win away at Wolves, Rodri came off the bench in his side’s 2-0 defeat against Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium in August and made his first start of the season a week after in a 2-1 loss away at Brighton.

The midfielder then went on a decent run of starts, starting thrice in a week against Manchester United, Napoli and Arsenal in September – a run of games that have seen his fitness issues resurface amid criticism from Pep Guardiola, who has hinted that Rodri has worked to his detriment by trying to rush back to action after last year’s spell out injured.

Rodri started in Manchester City’s 1-0 win away at Brentford at the start of the month but suffered a hamstring pull that forced the Ballon d’Or winner off injured. The Villarreal academy graduate has since missed games against Everton, Villarreal and Aston Villa.

However, ahead of Manchester City’s Carabao Cup fourth-round tie away at Swansea City on Wednesday evening, Rodri has returned to first-team training as we await further clarity on whether the Spaniard is in line to feature in Wales.

Guardiola will face the media at 12:30 UK on Tuesday and is expected to provide an update on Rodri and whether the Ballon d’Or winning midfielder will even travel with the wider Manchester City group for the cup game.

Rodri is as important a player as they come for Guardiola and the Manchester City manager will do everything in his power to ensure his star midfielder is gradually phased back to action in the weeks that follow.

City need Rodri fit and firing if they are to challenge for major trophies this season and Guardiola will no doubt be weighing up whether it is worth risking Rodri for a Carabao Cup tie as crucial Premier League games against Bournemouth and Liverpool lie on the horizon.