Rodri out for ‘long time,’ says Pep Guardiola

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed Rodri is out for a long time after suffering an ACL injury during a 2-2 draw against arch-rivals Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. 

The midfielder has travelled to Barcelona for tests to know the magnitude of the injury but Guardiola is hopeful that Rodri will not out for a longer period.

Rodri is set to undergo surgery but Guardiola revealed the final decision is yet to be made by the medical experts.

“Still we don’t have the definitive [answer],” Guardiola said at a news conference on Tuesday.

“He will be out for a long time. But there are some opinions that it will be less than we expect. Right now I cannot tell you. We are waiting for the last phone calls and the type of surgery he needs. Tonight or tomorrow we know.”

Rodri has played a key role in Manchester City’s success after his arrival from Atletico Madrid in 2019. The 28-year-old also played an instrumental role in taking Spain to European Championship glory this summer in Germany.

Furthermore, the 28-year-old is one of the favorites to bag the Ballon d’Or award along with Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior. Guardiola is optimistic of having a good year ahead despite losing Rodri at the start of the season.

“We will have a good season,” Guardiola added.

“I trust a lot in my players. I have a duty to find a solution. He’s irreplaceable, when you don’t play with the best player in the world. My duty is to find a solution, be competitive like many years and continue to be there.”

Manchester City will next take on Watford in the third round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday.