‘He’s suffering’ – Guardiola explains all on Rodri’s continued absence | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has explained all on the continued absence of Rodri, who is “suffering” on the sidelines.

After issuing his weekly update that the midfielder is still unavailable but is “getting better”, the Catalan divulged further information on the situation.

“It was a muscular injury against Brentford in a high tendon, muscular, hamstring area and he’s a bit more careful,” City’s boss explained.

“After what happened with previous ones, when there were setbacks, we have to be more cautious. Make a step more safe to not do it again, it’s simple.”

Rodri has now been missing for almost two months, playing just a single minute in that time.

Guardiola insisted: “It’s not a setback, the process of recovery is going well and he started to make training sessions on the pitch already, so hopefully in a few weeks he can start to be with us.”

The Ballon D’Or winning midfielder’s absence has certainly been felt strongly by his team. They endured their worst campaign in recent memory without him last season, and defensive problems are still prevalent. The Blues have conceded six goals across their last two matches.

“Do you know what it means to play without the best player in the world two seasons ago? Our main player when we won the treble and played 70 games, during one year and a half without him? Do you know what we miss? I want him back now, here,” Guardiola asserted.

“But he’s suffering, he’s struggling, because he wants to come back, but I want to protect him.

“I want to be sure right now, not that he cannot be injured again, but minimise the risk.

“This is what we want. He wants, I want, and all medical staff, physios want him.”

The Catalan continued: “Rodri is another level of a player, another level.

“It’s just his presence. Tthe next ten players, safer, better. They play better. Even if he doesn’t touch the ball, just for the fact he’s there. And during one year and a half we don’t have him.

“It’s unique. But I don’t want him to come back, because I want it desperately right now for Madrid, or the next one, and after six more weeks out. No sense.”

The 29-year-old has started just seven matches since suffering his ACL injury last September. His boss explained: “When he comes back, he has to make a pre-season. He cannot play every minute, every minute, every minute.

“When you have an injured ACL, your body is completely different. But I want him, absolutely.”

Guardiola also admitted that the continued absence has been challenging mentally for Rodri.

He added: “What would you do, you’re a football player, you’re a journalist, during 18 months, you cannot do your job. Tell me, how do you feel?

“In some moments it’s sad. I would not be happy if he’s not sad, I would not be happy if he’s not concerned about that.”

Looking ahead, he concluded: “The season still has 1,000 minutes in front of us. Ahead of us, we have many nightmarish things to live.

“He has to be there and he will be there. He has a World Cup there, and then next season, next season, next season.”