Spain National Team release statement on Rodri’s latest Manchester City injury blow | OneFootball

A statement has now been released by the Spanish National Team concerning Rodri and his latest injury setback.

The Manchester City midfielder was forced off midway through the first half of Sunday’s 0-1 victory over Brentford, sparking immediate concern among supporters, and club coaching and medical staff.

Having missed large portions of last season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, the sight of the Ballon d’Or-winning Spaniard clutching his hamstring prompted a wave of unease within Pep Guardiola’s camp.

However, initial assessments offered a more positive outlook, with Rodri himself confirming to media outlets and reporters after the game that the issue was not believed to be serious.

“I felt a little bit in the hamstring but it seems like it’s not that much,” the Spain international explained, while also highlighting that the timing of the upcoming international break could aid his recovery.

Nevertheless, Spain have now opted to take a cautious approach with their midfield leader, ensuring he remains in Manchester to rest and undergo further treatment rather than risk aggravating the problem during national team duties.

A statement issued by the Spanish national team set-up on Monday morning reads, “Rodrigo Hernández has been ruled out of the Spanish national team squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Georgia in Elche and Bulgaria in Valladolid due to injury.

“Following medical tests submitted by his club to the RFEF medical services. He was substituted this Sunday in the match between Brentford and Manchester City.”

The decision to withdraw Rodri is precautionary, with both Spain’s medical department and Manchester City’s staff aligned on the need to prioritise his fitness for the latter part of October’s schedule and other forthcoming national team commitments on the horizon.

Pep Guardiola himself has been vocal in recent weeks about managing player workloads, particularly those with extensive minutes under their belt across multiple competitions, and the intense schedule looming.

For Manchester City, the break arrives at a useful time as the Premier League giants have endured a congested run of fixtures in recent weeks, including the UEFA Champions League trip to AS Monaco that saw Rodri’s workload questioned in Guardiola’s press conference.

His absence from international duty should now allow for a full recovery before Manchester City’s return to domestic action against Everton at the Etihad Stadium later this month.

If all goes according to plan, Rodri could rejoin full training during the second week of the break – a timeline that would provide Pep Guardiola with a major boost as the club looks to continue its recent resurgence in form following a run of seven games unbeaten.