Guardiola says Rodri may feature in some capacity in first three games of season
Pep Guardiola says Manchester City midfielder Rodri is unlikely to be fully match-fit until after next month’s international break.
The Spain international picked up a groin issue during a substitute appearance in the Club World Cup against Al-Hilal at the start of July.
It raised fears that he could be out for an extended spell once more, having ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament last September and missed the bulk of last season.
However, City’s manager delivered some positive news on the player.
Guardiola said: “Rodri is getting better but he had a big injury in the last game against Al-Hilal. He has trained better in the last few days. Hopefully after the international break, he will be really fit.
City begin their Premier League campaign against Wolves on 16 August, followed by fixtures against Tottenham and Brighton before the September break. Guardiola suggested Rodri may even feature in some capacity during that run.
“Hopefully in these games, he can play some minutes, but what is important is that he doesn’t have pain because we don’t want Rodri coming back injured,” Guardiola said. “We will try desperately to avoid that.”
