Man City injury news: Concerning Rodri setback confirmed by Pep Guardiola after Club World Cup exit

Pep Guardiola has delivered a concerning update on the fitness of star midfielder Rodri following Manchester City’s elimination from the FIFA Club World Cup.

The 29-year-old missed the majority of the 2024-25 season after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in a 2-2 Premier League draw with Arsenal in September last year.

Rodri was required to undergo surgery and spent eight months on the sidelines before making his long-awaited comeback as a late substitute in Man City’s penultimate Premier League game of the campaign against Bournemouth on May 20.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner made a further two substitute appearances in Man City’s opening two Club World Cup group-stage fixtures against Wydad AC and Al-Ain, as Guardiola gradually eased the Spaniard back into the first-team fold.

Rodri was then handed his first competitive start in over nine months and completed 66 minutes in City’s statement 5-2 victory over Juventus, a result which helped the Citizens top Group G.

Guardiola opted against naming Rodri in his starting lineup for successive games, though, and instead brought on the midfielder in the 53rd minute of Man City’s last-16 clash with Al-Hilal on Tuesday, but he had to come off 10 minutes into extra time before the Citizens fell to a 4-3 defeat.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Guardiola admitted that Rodri may have sustained a fresh injury during his brief outing against Al-Hilal.

“We have to see. Apparently, Rodri was good and after he complained a little bit about his situation,” said the Catalan coach. “We need time for many players to come back.”

Could Rodri setback impact Man City’s start to 2025-26 season?

Guardiola did not reveal the extent of Rodri’s latest setback injury, but it comes as another blow for Man City ahead of the new campaign which begins in six weeks’ time.

The news comes after Rodri stated last week that he is feeling “very strong”, but acknowledged that it will take him “months” to get back to his best.

Man City’s pre-season schedule is yet to be confirmed and Guardiola is keen for his squad to “rest” physically and mentally before attempting to reclaim the Premier League title from champions Liverpool in 2025-26.

Citizens supporters will hope that Rodri will have recovered in time for their opening top-flight fixture of the season away against Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 16.

One midfielder who is set to miss City’s start to the new campaign is Mateo Kovacic, who is facing up to three months on the sidelines after undergoing Achilles surgery in June prior to the Club World Cup.

Written by
Oliver Thomas