First videos of Rodri emerge as Ballon d’Or winner returns to Manchester City training | OneFootball

Rodri has been captured for the first time in Manchester City training since recovering from an ACL injury sustained last September.

The Spain international has spent the last seven months undergoing a lengthy rehabilitation process that followed surgery on the serious knee injury picked up in the 2-2 home draw with Arsenal in the Premier League this season.

Rodri’s horror injury was then followed by a history-defining moment as he became the first defensive midfielder since 1990 and Germany icon Lothar Matthaus’ to claim the Ballon d’Or, beating the likes of Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, and Vinicius Jr to the prize.

Manchester City have arguably felt the full effects of Rodri’s injury too, failing to seriously compete for the Premier League title against Liverpool, and crashing out of the UEFA Champions League before the last-16 stage for the first time since 2012.

Pep Guardiola has been forced to trial several methods to handle Rodri’s absence in the heart of his midfield including the likes of Mateo Kovacic and Rico Lewis, before a significant investment was made in FC Porto’s Nico Gonzalez at the halfway stage of the campaign.

However, there is now much-needed light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel for Manchester City, with Rodri returning to full first-team training this week in the sunshine of the North-West.

Cameras out on the City Football Academy surfaces for Sky Sports News captured Rodri’s first kicks of a football alongside his Manchester City teammates in well over six months, although an immediate return to matchday action is not expected.

BBC Sport have reported that sources have pointed towards the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in June as a realistic timeframe for the Spaniard’s return to action, as opposed to the remaining four games of the ongoing Premier League campaign or the FA Cup final.

Manchester City are also expected to intensify their pursuit of rewarding Rodri for his remarkable achievements in their Sky Blue shirt in the coming weeks with a new and improved contractual agreement.

Unsurprisingly, the star defensive midfielder is often at the centre of transfer rumours linking him with interest from Real Madrid despite his previous allegiances to Atletico Madrid, although there is no sign of Manchester City entertaining such an idea.

Given his importance to the squad, there is also no indication that Manchester City have a price tag in mind for a player of Rodri’s magnitude and quality, although many would expect a figure north of £200 million in the current market.