Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has refused to rule out the possibility of Rodri returning to action before the end of the Premier League season after he took a major step forward in his recovery from an ACL injury.
The Ballon d'Or winner has been missing for almost six months with the serious issue that he sustained in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal in September, and Man City have suffered an unforeseen capitulation in his absence.
Guardiola's side are almost certain to lose their grip on the Premier League crown to Liverpool, whom they sit 20 points behind, while they also failed in their quest to deliver Champions League and EFL Cup glory.
However, the Citizens are still firmly in contention to qualify for next season's Champions League and are now the favourites to win the 2024-25 FA Cup, where they will take on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in the quarter-finals.
One day before coming back to beat Plymouth Argyle 3-1 in the fifth round of the FA Cup and book their place in the last eight, Man City released a video of Rodri taking part in some light practice drills on the training pitches.
Guardiola confirms Rodri could return before end of season
© Imago
Having cleared such a major hurdle in his rehabilitation, there is increasing optimism that the 28-year-old will make his highly-anticipated comeback in May, despite initially being expected to miss the rest of the season.
Speaking to Man City's media channels, Guardiola insisted that the club would not make "stupid decisions" in Rodri's recovery, but he opened the door to the Spaniard returning before the campaign draws to a close.
"The fans must know that they are not the only ones excited. [Rodri's] been out five or six months after the international break, but one step at a time. We don't have to make stupid decisions," Guardiola said.
"It's good, but he's not so close to coming back. He's touching the ball and back in the locker room. He feels more confident and happier. I could not expect before that before the end of the season in the Premier League and maybe he is going to help us."
Questioned on whether Rodri might also be available for the FA Cup final if City make it to the Wembley showpiece, Guardiola replied: "[We are in the] quarterfinals, so we will see. We have to deserve to be in the final."
Who might Rodri make his return against?
© Imago
With the FA Cup final taking place on May 17, the fact that Guardiola did not directly rule out Rodri's chances of returning at Wembley means that he might be available for more than one fixture before the season is over.
Man City are already due to take on Bournemouth on May 18 in their penultimate Premier League game, which will have to be moved if they reach the final, but if not, an appearance against the Cherries might be a possibility.
Alternatively, the Spaniard could push to return for the matchday 38 encounter with Fulham at Craven Cottage on May 25, although it would make little sense to risk him if City have nothing to play for on the final weekend.
As a result, there is every chance that City will hold Rodri back until the 2025 Club World Cup, where they will take on Wydad AC (June 18), Al Ain (June 23) and Juventus (June 26) in the group stage.
Rodri's devastating ACL injury came in just his third appearance of the season, having missed the start of the campaign due to the hamstring problem he sustained at Euro 2024.
Ben Knapton
