Manchester City midfielder Rodri has missed the last three games due to a groin injury.
Manchester City’s trophy-less 2024-25 campaign was heavily disrupted by injuries to key first-team players, with none more crucial than Rodri. The Spain captain suffered a serious knee injury that sidelined him for most of the season, leading to an unprecedented eight-year drought without silverware under Pep Guardiola.
Rodri’s Ballon d’Or win in 2024 not only cemented his status as the world’s best player but also underscored his critical role for Guardiola and City. Although he has returned to fitness and played 35 games for club and country this season, he has spent additional time on the sidelines with a hamstring issue and now a groin problem.
Guardiola confirmed that Rodri began partial training on Thursday, but his fitness will be assessed before deciding on his availability for Saturday’s match against Brentford (kick-off 17:30 BST). “We have survived without him for many, many months,” Guardiola said. “He still doesn’t feel completely comfortable. He will be ready when he is fit—we will see on Friday afternoon or on Saturday.”
With an FA Cup final against Chelsea next Saturday and league fixtures against Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, and Aston Villa, Guardiola hopes Rodri will be fully fit for those games.
Rodri played a key role in the impressive Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal, and Guardiola noted in March that the 29-year-old was improving “step by step.” He was instrumental in the 2-1 victory against Arsenal that gave City an edge in the title race, but he was forced off with a groin injury late in that April match. He subsequently missed narrow wins over Burnley in the Premier League and Southampton in the FA Cup semi-final, but most notably the chaotic 3-3 draw at Everton.
City squandered their lead in that game, conceding three goals in 13 second-half minutes before Jeremy Doku’s stunning strike salvaged a draw. Their defense was repeatedly exposed, with the midfield offering little protection. The raucous atmosphere at Hill Dickinson Stadium called for calm heads and composure, but the frenzied match left City trailing league leaders Arsenal by five points with a game in hand.
Despite this, Guardiola does not believe Rodri’s absence contributed to the result. “It doesn’t depend on him. We gave the goals away but not because Rodri was not there,” he added.
Has the impact of Rodri’s absence been overstated? Over his hugely successful Manchester City career, one thing is clear: Guardiola’s side is a better team with him than without him. Data supports this. Since his debut in August 2019, City have a higher win percentage, score more goals, concede fewer, and maintain more possession in Premier League games when the Spaniard plays compared to when he is absent.
Most of these absences have occurred in the past two seasons. During City’s unprecedented four consecutive league titles, Rodri missed only seven matchday squads—three of which were due to suspension. At the start of the 2024-25 season, an ACL tear sustained five weeks before he won the Ballon d’Or forced him out for over seven months, and Liverpool won the league.
His current campaign has been hampered by a hamstring problem, but reassuringly for City fans, numbers suggest the squad is learning to cope without the 29-year-old. Of the 11 games he missed between late September and New Year’s Day, City won nine—the four-time title winners showing resilience.
