Man City's three rookies Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzales and Abdukodir Khusanov also participated in this squad. Meanwhile, defender Vitor Reis, who was just moved to Etihad for 35 million euros, was bricked.
Marroush, Gonzalez and Khusanov are eligible to attend the Play-off against Real Madrid, starting next week. The first leg between the two teams will take place at Etihad, and the second leg will play at the Bernabeu. This is the classic match of the UEFA Champions League, because Man City and Real Madrid are the two teams of the last 2 seasons.
Rodri will be absent in both matches against Real Madrid, because he is still in the process of recovering knee injuries encountered in September 2024. However, the fact that he was still included in the Champions League squad sparked the possibility that he could play again in the next match if Man City overcame Real, before the season ended.
Rodri was a player who won the Golden Ball in 2024. He played a very important role for Man City. After the UK was injured, the Etihad team played in the Premier League and struggled to pass the UEFA Champions League group stage.
If Man City can go deep in the UEFA Champions League live round and Rodri back to play, Pep Guardiola's team will have much hope for the championship. The Spaniard himself also hopes to return to the competition soon.
Rodri played Man City 260 matches, scored 26 goals and had 30 assists. He only had 2 goals in the Champions League, but one of which was a decision-making phase, helping Man City win Inter Milan 1-0, at the final of the 2022-2023 season.
Meanwhile, Man City's coach, Pep Guardiola, called for caution with the return of Rodri and warned the 28 -year -old should not rush back.
According to UEFA's law, Man City is allowed to make three changes in the squad before the Champions League knockout round.
After recruiting 4 new players in January, the club decided to remove Reis from their list. The 19-year-old defender has not been released after moving from Brazil but has been listed on the list of 3-1 victory over Chelsea and a 1-5 defeat against Arsenal.
