Premier League leaders Manchester City have confirmed that hugely influential midifielder Rodri has suffered a ligament injury to his right knee.
Ballon d’Or nominee Rodri limped out of City’s 2-2 draw at home to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday after colliding with Thomas Partey.
Losing the four-time Premier League champion is a considerable concern for City, whose win rate drops significantly without the 28-year-old in their side.
Assessing how big a blow Rodri’s injury could be for Man City 🔍 pic.twitter.com/4IL61Xlyfj
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 24, 2024
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Rodri injury: How long is he out for?
City said Rodri had undergone initial tests in Manchester before travelling to his native Spain for a specialist consultation this week.
The reigning champions did not give a specific timeframe for his recovery, saying that assessment “remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the injury and expected prognosis”.
Speaking after his side beat second-tier Watford 2-1 at home in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, manager Pep Guardiola told City’s website that Rodri “will be out for a long time”.
“There are some opinions that it may be less than we expect,” Guardiola added. “Right now, I can’t tell you. We’re waiting on the [latest] phone calls from the doctors – what he has and what type of surgery he has to get.
“I need to find a solution. Rodri is irreplaceable. It’s a big blow for us. In football, it happens. My duty is to find a solution to be competitive and continue to be there – a problem for our opponents. I will find a solution. We will do it.”
Nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or
Rodri @ManCity @SEFutbol #ballondor pic.twitter.com/C4ZqHR3Jls
— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 4, 2024
Rodri vs Arsenal
City’s game against their closest rivals at Etihad Stadium was another example of an occasion on which they have dropped points in Rodri’s absence.
Arsenal equalised 66 seconds after Rodri departed and went ahead later in the first half. Despite having a man more during the second half, City needed a last-gasp John Stones leveller to rescue a point and return to the top of the table at the Gunners’ expense.
The Euro 2024 winner had returned for a total of 66 minutes from a hamstring injury he sustained during the final of that competition when he took to the turf in agony as the teams awaited an Arsenal corner.
The risk was caused by Rodri decelerating at high speed, braking on one leg and taking force from his marker, according to performance expert Damian Harper.
Wishing Rodri a speedy recovery!
Come back stronger, champ 💪 https://t.co/ZpqKXueSnL— Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter_en) September 25, 2024
Rodri City stats
Guardiola and many City fans are performance experts in the tail-off their team tends to witness when Rodri is not involved.
They have won 74.1 per cent of their Premier League games with him in the side and 61.9 per cent without, which is an average of 2.37 points per game compared to 1.9 without.
The Cityzens lost to Wolves, Arsenal and Aston Villa during the four games Rodri missed last season, only winning against Luton Town, when he was rested against opponents who would be relegated.
Since joining in 2019/20, Rodri has played nearly 2,000 more passes than any other top-flight player. Premier League statistics show he ranked second for possessions won in the division last season and led the charts for touches, carries, passes into the final third and progressive passes.
