Rodri leaves Premier League clash against Arsenal with worrying Manchester City injury concern | OneFootball

Manchester City were forced to substitute Rodri in the opening stages of their Premier League clash with Arsenal, with worries over a potential knee injury.

The Premier League champions started in commanding style against Mikel Arteta’s travelling side at the Etihad Stadium, with Erling Haaland scoring after nine minutes to grab his 100th goal in 105 appearances for Manchester City.

However, it appeared that the visiting Arsenal team were targeting Rodri in the middle of the park, with the Spaniard initially being struck in the face by Kai Havertz’s elbow within seconds of the game starting.

City’s beloved midfielder then got caught up with Arsenal’s Thomas Partey from a set-piece and, after falling to the ground, appeared in serious discomfort with a knee problem, immediately asking Pep Guardiola to be replaced alongside medical advice.

Mateo Kovacic came on for the 28-year-old and Manchester City conceded within a minute after the change. The game ended with a 2-2 draw after a late equaliser from John Stones to break a stubborn nine-man Arsenal defensive line.

While Pep Guardiola was expected to provide an update on Rodri following full-time, the comments from the Catalan indicated uncertainty over the issue. More conclusive assessments are likely to arrive in the coming days.

The latest problem sustained by Rodri follows on from Nathan Ake and Kevin De Bruyne being ruled out of action in recent weeks, while Oscar Bobb also suffered an unfortunate long-term injury at the start of the season.

Manchester City return to action with a Carabao Cup third round tie against Watford on Tuesday night, and just 49 hours after the conclusion of Sunday evening’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.