Rodri’s Recovery Update from Guardiola

Manchester City’s coach, Pep Guardiola, mentioned on Saturday that midfielder Rodri is still in the process of recovering from a significant injury he picked up during the Club World Cup back in July. He suggested that the influential midfielder may not have a substantial role in the initial matches of the upcoming Premier League season.

Guardiola did not specify the precise nature of the injury. However, he verified that the 29-year-old Spanish player sustained the injury during Manchester City’s 4-3 victory over the Saudi Arabian team, Al-Hilal, in the Club World Cup’s round of 16.

Ahead of Manchester City’s friendly match against the Italian team Palermo, Guardiola provided an update on Rodri’s fitness, stating that the midfielder is progressively improving but remains short of full fitness.

According to Guardiola, Rodri is improving, noting his serious injury sustained in the previous match against Al-Hilal. He also mentioned that Rodri has been training with increased intensity in recent days. Guardiola hopes Rodri will be completely match-fit following the international break in September.

The Manchester City manager voiced careful optimism that Rodri might see some action during the opening Premier League games. Still, he stressed the significance of not hurrying his return to competitive play.

Guardiola hopes Rodri can participate for a few minutes in these initial three Premier League matches. He also highlighted the importance of Rodri being pain-free to avoid re-injury upon his return. He emphasized that they would make every effort to prevent such a recurrence.

Guardiola noted that Rodri had been involved in the team’s last couple of training sessions, which is a positive signal concerning his recovery. The Spanish midfielder’s well-being is crucial for City, especially after a tough 2024 marked by numerous injuries.

Last season, Man City experienced their earliest Champions League elimination since the 2012-13 season and concluded the Premier League in third position, thus unable to retain their title. Nonetheless, Guardiola maintains that, despite these difficulties, the season shouldn’t be regarded as a failure.