Pep Guardiola issues Rodri fitness update ahead of Leeds United clash | OneFootball

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has provided an update on the availability on Ballon d’Or winning midfielder Rodri ahead of Saturday’s clash with Leeds United.

Rodri has been missing from action in recent months after sustaining a hamstring injury in a 1-0 win away at Brentford at the start of the October, which has allowed Nico Gonzalez to establish himself as a regular member of Manchester City’s starting XI.

The Blues entered the November international break with 11 wins in 14 games in all competitions since September but recent defeats to Newcastle and Bayer Leverkusen have raised doubts over City’s prospects in the Premier League title race and UEFA Champions League.

City were far from their best in midweek against Leverkusen as Guardiola made 10 changes to his starting XI from Newcastle, with the Blues suffering a 2-0 defeat at home days after falling just short at St. James’ Park.

Speaking in a press conference ahead of Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Leeds United, Guardiola issued an update on the fitness of Rodri as the Blues look to return to winning ways after a minor setback in Tyneside last week.

Rodri will remain unavailable for Manchester City on Saturday, Guardiola confirmed, as he said: “Not much far (away from a return),” when pressed on when the 29-year-old Spain international could be back on the pitch.

It has been the most testing 12 months of Rodri’s Manchester City career and it all started when the former Atletico Madrid, who moved to England in 2019, ruptured his ACL in a 2-2 draw against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium in September 2024.

The injury kept Rodri on the sidelines for nearly the entirety of the 2024-25 season, forcing the midfielder to receive the Ballon d’Or in the annual Paris ceremony on crutches as he became the first player in Manchester City’s history to be awarded the coveted honour.

Rodri made his long-awaited return to action in May against Bournemouth but after picking up some minutes at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States in June, the midfielder returned to England with another fitness setback.

That delay saw the Spaniard miss Manchester City’s opening day win away at Wolves and after coming off the bench in a 2-0 defeat against Tottenham, Rodri made his first start for the Blues in 10 months in a 2-1 loss against Brighton and Hove Albion on the cusp of the September international break.

City turned a corner after September and Rodri was a regular feature in the starting XI as the Blues put a fine run of results together to catapult themselves into the conversation for the Premier League title race and UEFA Champions League play-offs.

However, it remains to be seen when the Ballon d’Or winner will return to his usual, supreme best as Manchester City also await the return of Mateo Kovacic, who underwent surgery on his heel earlier in November and is expected to be unavailable until the spring of 2026.