Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that midfield linchpin Rodri will be sidelined until at least mid-September following a fresh injury setback. The 29-year-old Ballon d’Or winner sustained what Guardiola termed a "big injury" during City’s dramatic 4–3 defeat to Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup round of 16 in July .
Although Rodri has resumed training—reportedly participating in the last two or three sessions—Guardiola wants to proceed with extreme caution. His primary goal is to ensure the midfielder returns pain-free, avoiding any risk of aggravating the injury .
Managed Return to Action
Rodri is expected to be used sparingly in the opening Premier League fixtures—as a substitute at most—before the first international break in early September. If his recovery progresses as hoped, he could make his first start of the season in the high-profile Manchester derby scheduled for September 14 .
Season Outlook Without Rodri
The absence of Rodri deeply concerns Guardiola; City struggled in his absence during the previous season and ended trophyless, finishing third in the Premier League . In the meantime, midfield duties will be shared among summer recruit Tijjani Reijnders, along with Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gündogan, and Nico González, while Mateo Kovačić remains out with an Achilles injury expected to follow a similar timeline.
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