If there was any doubt about Rodri's importance to Manchester City, the Premier League match against Arsenal in Round 5 was the clearest evidence. The Spanish midfielder suffered an injury and had to leave the field early in the first half.
Rodri suffered a knee injury in a seemingly harmless collision with Thomas Partey in the 20th minute. The player was treated by the medical team for a long time on the pitch but was still unable to continue playing. Mateo Kovacic then came on to fill the huge void left by Rodri.
Obviously, without Rodri on the pitch, The Citizens lack a glue that holds the squad together. The 28-year-old player is considered the best defensive midfielder in the world at the moment. Not only that, Rodri also possesses many other qualities, especially creativity - an extremely important factor in Pep Guardiola's way of operating.
Man City have not lost a Premier League game with Rodri in the side since defeat to Tottenham in 2023. That run now extends to 52 games.
With Rodri sidelined through suspension at the start of last season, Guardiola’s side suffered back-to-back Premier League defeats to Newcastle and Wolves, so it will be interesting to see how City cope if the Euro 2024 champions are ruled out for a long period through injury. They almost lost to Arsenal as cracks in the squad were exposed without Rodri.
After the match, Guardiola was cautious in his assessment of Rodri's injury. "I don't know, I haven't spoken to the doctor. But Rodri is very strong. He left the pitch in this phase because he felt something, otherwise Rodri would have stayed.
He is the best midfielder in the world. He is a potential candidate for the Ballon d'Or, I really want him to win it."
According to the Spanish strategist, Rodri will be specifically examined on Monday before the most accurate results are known. In case the 28-year-old midfielder is absent for a long time, this will be a heavy blow to Man City's ambitions this season. The Citizens' upcoming schedule is extremely difficult, with 4 matches within 12 days, spread across 3 different tournaments.
The game against Arsenal was Rodri's first Premier League start of the season. The 28-year-old midfielder did not play a single minute in the first three games and came off the bench against Brentford.
