The 29-year-old was once the first name on Guardiola’s team sheet, now, he struggles to get off the injury table. Since the start of the 2024-25 season, Rodri has only managed to make 15 appearances across all competitions, playing a full 90 minutes twice since returning from his ACL injury.
Last season’s injury coincided with the most remarkable loss of form in Guardiola’s managerial history, but after a torrid few months, they managed to adapt and still finish third after looking like they wouldn’t qualify for the Champions League.
Now, Rodri looks set for yet another spell on the sidelines after picking up a knee injury in their 1-0 Premier League win over Brentford on Sunday (October 5). It begs the question, for next for City and their Ballon d’Or winning Spaniard?
Just how bad are Rodri’s injury woes?
They’re pretty bad. We’ve already mentioned that he’s only made just 15 appearances since tearing his ACL, but that means he has missed a grand total of 256 days, and 55 games for club and country since.
Plenty have players have come back from ACL injuries, but the biggest worry with Rodri is that he continues to have problems with the same knee. Speaking after the Brentford win, Guardiola was bullish about his ongoing issues.
“I was right, no? You asked me why I don't play him 90 minutes all the time. The journalists always ask me why I substitute him. This is why we tried to be gentle and play (him) for 60-65 minutes.”
Guardiola added when asked about the nature of Rodri’s latest setback: "It's muscular. Of course I don't want to lose him (at all) because he is such an important player. We tried to take care of him, but it is what it is.”
The man himself told Sky Sports when asked why he had been forced to leave the action and when he could be seen again: “I'm good. I felt a little bit in the hamstring but it seems like it's not that much. The important thing was the victory. I stretched the leg a little bit, a bit like in the Euros final. I stretched a little bit but it's part of the process.
“I don't feel that I feel tired muscle wise, I feel fresh but the most important thing is it's not that big. It's part of the process. The good thing about this is you get out, you don't let the muscle stretch now. The good thing is the break so it will be even better in this sense to recover these days and hopefully I can be in the next game.”
He would obviously downplay the severity of the issues, and it remains to be seen whether he will make it back for their next game after the international break against Everton, but perhaps a prolonged period of rest would be wise.
How does Pep Guardiola play without Rodri?
Without Rodri there to do all of the things one of the best defensive midfielders in Premier League history can do, Guardiola has a collective of playing operating in the same space, sometimes using three midfielders and two wingers to compensate for the defensive anchor.
Last season Mateo Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan were the ones tasked with shoring up the midfield in his absence, while John Stones, when fit, would step up from central defence and play between the lines.
The truth is, the Rodri we know and love now was not the same player when he first joined from Atletico Madrid back in 2019, and Guardiola himself has admitted it would take time for any player to adapt to such a role, just like Rodri had to.
Do Man City have anyone capable of replacing Rodri?
Nico Gonzalez was signed from FC Porto in January to help fill the void left by Rodri following his ACL injury. The fellow Spaniard is a fine player but is yet to really find his feet in the fast-paced Premier League.
Gonzalez came on to replace Rodri in the win over Brentford and had one of his best games in a City shirt, ending the game having completed 51 passes, winning 71% of his duels, and four passes into the final third, so he is capable of playing the ‘Rodri role.’
Many had expected Tijjani Reijnders to come in and be the man to take Rodri’s mantel, but as it turns out, the Dutchman has become more of a Kevin de Bruyne replacement, playing further up the field as a hybrid number 8/10.
In short, Gonzalez is their best current option, but he’s someway off having the same kind of impact a prime Rodri would, although there are few players on the planet that can.
Verdict
It’s unfortunate to say, but City need to start preparing for life without Rodri. His contract is set to expire in the summer of 2027, and if his injuries problems don’t improve, offering him a new one when he’s 31 might not make much sense.
According to Express Sport, Real Madrid are back in for Rodri, perhaps cashing in while he still has a high resale value and adapting tactically is Guardiola’s best option.