City midfielder’s absence adds to selection headache ahead of key Premier League run
Manchester City will have to cope without Rodri for Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Everton after Pep Guardiola confirmed the midfielder has not recovered from a knee injury.
Rodri, who missed much of last season following surgery on the same knee, was forced off in the first half of City’s 1-0 win over Brentford on October 5 and subsequently withdrew from Spain’s squad during the international break.
“No news. He’s not ready for tomorrow,” Guardiola said. “I don’t know when he will be back.”
The Spaniard’s absence is a significant blow for City. The Cityzens sit fifth in the table, three points behind leaders Arsenal after seven matches, and they appear to have lost a lot of the control that defined Guardiola’s dominance in England.
Rodri remains a Ballon d’Or winner and, if fully fit, would have been a major boost to City’s title chances.
Guardiola will, however, be boosted by the form of star forward Erling Haaland, who has already scored nine goals in seven Premier League appearances this season and bagged a hat-trick for Norway in the international window. But City’s manager was quick to temper expectations.
“He’s doing really well right now, but you cannot sustain this level always,” said Guardiola. “When he’s going to drop, I’ll be there. We’ll be there. We just have to sustain his levels.”
