Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has named Rodri in his starting lineup for today’s FIFA Club World Cup Group G top-spot decider against Juventus at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

The 29-year-old midfielder missed the majority of the 2024-25 seasons after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in September last year, before making his long-awaited comeback as a late substitute in City’s penultimate Premier League match of the season on May 20.

Rodri featured from the substitutes’ bench in each of the Citizens’ previous two group matches against Wydad AC and Al-Ain, and Guardiola suggested at his pre-match press conference that his star lynchpin was likely to feature later in the game on Thursday, rather than from the start. However, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner is named in a first XI for the first time in over nine months.

Guardiola has made a total of seven changes to the side that thrashed Al-Ain 6-0 on matchday two, with goalkeeper Ederson - who has confirmed his decision to stay at Man City this summer - replacing Stefan Ortega between the sticks.

Ruben Dias is recalled to join Matheus Nunes, Manuel Akanji and Rayan Ait-Nouri in defence, with Josko Gvardiol making way, while summer signing Tijjani Reijnders - the 2024-25 Serie A Midfielder of the Season with AC Milan - will partner Rodri and captain Bernardo Silva in the middle of the pitch.

Savinho, Jeremy Doku and Omar Marmoush all return in attack, with Erling Haaland and Ilkay Gundogan - who netted a brace last time out - among those who drop down to the substitutes’ bench, while Claudio Echeverri misses out with an ankle injury.

In-form Yildiz benched as Tudor makes five changes to Juve XI

As for Juventus, Igor Tudor has made a total of five changes to the side that beat Al-Ain 5-0 and Wydad AC 4-1 in their opening two group games.

Kenan Yildiz has arguably been Juve’s standout performer in the United States, scoring three goals in as many games, but the Turkish star has surprisingly been named on the substitutes’ bench, while Randal Kolo Muani, Francisco Conceicao, Khephren Thuram and Andrea Cambiaso also make way.

Dusan Vlahovic, who scored in a 2-0 Champions League win over Man City in December last year, is recalled to lead the line and will be supported in attack by Nicolas Gonzalez.

Captain Manuel Locatelli and Teun Koopmeiners return to link arms with Weston McKennie in midfield, while Filip Kostic is handed a start as a left wing-back as Alberto Costa continues to operate on the opposite flank.

A back three of Pierre Kalulu, Nicolo Savona and former Newcastle United defender Lloyd Kelly remains intact, protecting goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio.

Juventus starting lineup: Di Gregorio; Savona, Kelly, Kalulu; Costa, Locatelli, McKennie, Koopmeiners, Kostic; Gonzalez, Vlahovic

Subs: Pinsoglio, Daffara, Garofani, Cambiaso, Rugani, Gatti, Bremer, Rouhi, Luiz, Thuram, Adzic, Milik, Conceicao, Yildiz, Kolo Muani

Manchester City starting lineup: Ederson; Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Ait-Nouri; Rodri, Reijnders, Bernardo; Savinho, Marmoush, Doku

Subs: Bettinelli, Ortega, Stones, Ake, Haaland, Gonzalez, Gundogan, Reis, Gvardiol, Cherki, Khusanov, Foden, Bobb, O’Reilly

Written by
Oliver Thomas