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Manchester City midfielder Rodri has encountered an injury setback and is expected to be “really fit” only after the international break in September, according to manager Pep Guardiola.
The Spain international spent a significant portion of the 2024-25 season recovering from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury that he sustained last September.
Rodri, who won the 2024 Ballon d’Or, made his return to play as a late substitute during City’s second-to-last Premier League match of the previous season against Bournemouth.
The 29-year-old also joined Guardiola’s squad for the Club World Cup in the United States this summer, where City was eliminated in the last-16 round by Al-Hilal.
“Rodri is getting better but he had a big injury in the last game against Al-Hilal,” said Guardiola.
He came on as a substitute in the second half against the Saudi team but had to leave early in extra time due to what is believed to be a groin problem.
“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. We will try desperately to avoid that,” Guardiola added.
City begins their Premier League season at Wolves on 16 August, followed by matches against Tottenham and Brighton before the September international fixtures.
