Rodri update issued by Pep Guardiola amid injury concerns after worrying Napoli substitution | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has provided a fitness update on Rodri after the Ballon d’Or holder was taken off in a 2-0 win over Napoli on Thursday evening.

Rodri made his first start in Europe in 12 months against Antonio Conte’s men on Thursday, with goals from Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku securing a crucial victory for Manchester City in their UEFA Champions League group-phase opener.

Guardiola named an unchanged lineup to face the reigning Serie A champions after Manchester City’s 3-0 derby win over Manchester United on Sunday, with Rodri starting back-to-back games in a glowing sign of his improving fitness after a year ruined by injury.

The 29-year-old sustained an ACL tear a 2-2 draw with Arsenal 12 months ago that kept him on the sidelines for nine months, with the Spaniard only making his return to the pitch in a 3-1 victory over Bournemouth in May, when Kevin De Bruyne was handed a grand farewell on his final home appearance at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola and Manchester City’s backroom staff have been very careful with reintegrating their best player back into action since, with the Blues really feeling the effect of Rodri’s absence over the course of a challenging 2024-25 season.

Rodri featured for City at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States in June but picked up an unfortunate injury setback that delayed his recovery and kept him on the sidelines in the Blues’ opening day Premier League win away at Wolves.

A 2-0 defeat at home to Tottenham in August saw the 2024 European Championship winner come off the bench, with Rodri bossing the midfield in City’s subsequent game against Brighton but failing to prevent his side from relinquishing a one-goal deficit on the south coast.

However, City have turned the ship around in the last week with convincing victories at home against Manchester United and Napoli ahead of an all-important visit to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to face title rivals Arsenal.

Rodri will be key if City are to pick up their third win in the space of a week but concerns were raised over the Ballon d’Or holder’s fitness after he was taken off after 60 minutes against Napoli on Thursday evening, with January signing Nico Gonzalez replacing his compatriot.

However, Guardiola confirmed after the victory that the midfielder asked to be taken off but confirmed that the Spaniard is ‘fine’, which will come as music to the ears of Manchester City fans across the globe ahead of Sunday’s game.

Manchester City and Guardiola will be desperate for revenge against Mikel Arteta’s men at the weekend after the Gunners inflicted a humiliating 5-1 loss on a lacklustre Blues side in the fixture last term.

City cannot afford to lose points against title rivals this season and Guardiola will be relying on his senior stars to remind the new-look dressing room that whilst the Premier League title cannot be won in the autumn, it certainly can be lost early doors.