The Ballon d’Or winner has been sidelined since September 2024 with an ACL injury
Manchester City midfielder Rodri has finally made his return to the pitch for the Sky Blues, featuring on Tuesday against Bournemouth in his side’s penultimate game in the Premier League. The player has been sidelined since September 2024 with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, making it eight months since he last made an appearance for the club.
Rodri was named among the substitutes for the fixture at the Etihad, finally coming on in the second half with seven minutes to play. His return comes somewhat sooner than expected, with initial fears suggesting the Ballon d’Or winner would completely miss the remainder of the season. But after months of intense rehabilitation and determination, the Spanish international is poised to make his comeback just in time to help City finish the campaign strong.
The midfielder’s absence has been felt throughout the season, with Pep Guardiola’s side at times struggling to exert the same control and rhythm without their central orchestrator.
In an interview this week, the Spain international said he was at the “best stage” of his career and was ready to kickstart the “second stretch” at the club.
The Ballon d’Or winner admitted that being a footballer can be seriously tough.
“No, I don’t always like what I do, that’s clear,” said Rodri. “It’s not every day I get up and say: ‘F**k, how cool, playing football!’”
“I’m lucky and I know that, but this profession has tough times and really tough times. There are days when you don’t want to get up to go to training.”
