Rodri’s concerning knee complaint revealed by Pep Guardiola in worrying Manchester City injury update | OneFootball

Manchester City midfielder Rodri may now be feeling the effects of consistent, high-intensity action so soon after his complete recovery from last season’s ACL injury.

The Spain international only returned to competitive action on a consistent basis earlier in the summer, having spent the majority of last season on the sidelines with a severe knee setback sustained in September 2024.

Rodri’s absence was one of the key storylines of City’s campaign, with Pep Guardiola’s side struggling at times to control matches in his absence. And while the midfielder was crowned the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, his recovery process became a major focus across the summer.

Pep Guardiola had previously described Rodri as being “so close” to full sharpness in press conferences, while Bernardo Silva stressed that even at less than 100 per cent, the midfielder still outperforms most players in his position.

Yet, the club have attempted to be careful in managing his workload, especially after a groin complaint he sustained during the FIFA Club World Cup clash against Al Hilal over in the United States earlier this year.

Having started and completed contests against Manchester United, Napoli, and Arsenal in the space of a week, Rodri was granted absence from a Carabao Cup third round tie, before excluding himself from the weekend’s win over Burnley.

Speaking during the second-half of his post-match press conference following the 5-1 win over Scott Parker’s side on Saturday afternoon, Pep Guardiola was quizzed for further insight on Rodri following his absence from the weekend’s proceedings.

“Rodri, yesterday [Friday] training, he said, ‘I’m not able to play. I have a lot of pain in my knee, I cannot play, I cannot play,'” Guardiola told reporters.

He continued, “And I said, ‘You cannot play? You don’t play. So, another one is going to play’. I don’t know yet, I don’t know.”

Guardiola also confirmed that the pain being endured by Rodri concerned the same knee affected by last season’s lengthy ACL injury.

This latest update will spark fresh concern among City supporters, who had only just started to see glimpses of the Spaniard returning to his influential best. The timing is also far from ideal, with the Premier League season well underway and a challenging fixture schedule ongoing.

If Rodri is forced to miss more matches, Pep Guardiola could once again lean on the likes of Nico Gonzalez in the deep-lying midfield role. Yet, none of Guardiola’s alternatives provide quite the same level of control and presence that the 29-year-old brings.

Looking ahead, City’s medical staff will need to balance his recovery carefully to prevent aggravating the issue. While Guardiola has insisted there is no timeframe yet, this setback will leave major question marks ahead of away matches against AS Monaco and Brentford.