Rodri injured himself in the latest league match, 2–2, against Arsenal and was forced to leave the top meeting in the first half. After that, he traveled to Spain to meet a specialist.
Since then, City's supporters have been keeping their fingers crossed that it wouldn't be so serious. But now a dismal message has arrived. A ligament injury in his right knee – a heavy blow for City, who are chasing their fifth consecutive English league title this season.
"Everyone at Manchester City wishes him a speedy recovery," the club writes.
"Evaluation is ongoing"
The reigning English league champions do not write how long he is expected to be away. But this type of knee injury usually means a longer absence from football.
"An evaluation is ongoing to determine the exact extent of the injury and an expected prognosis," City writes.
The 28-year-old Rodri is one of the world's best football players and is often described as the big key in Manchester City's well-oiled machinery. He decided the Champions League final in 2023 with a long-range shot and was named the tournament's best player when Spain won the European Championship last summer.
Described as irreplaceable
City's coach Pep Guardiola was asked about Rodri after Tuesday's league cup match against Watford (win with 2–1). Then he described him as "irreplaceable" but was simultaneously convinced that City would still be competitive going forward.
When a team plays without the best midfielder in the world for a long, long time, it's naturally a heavy blow. But my duty is to find a solution so that we remain as competitive as we have been in recent years, said Guardiola according to AFP.
