Rodri Faces Lengthy Absence as Manchester City's Title Defense Suffers Major Setback

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said midfielder Rodri would be out "for a long, long time" and have to undergo surgery after suffering a serious injury playing in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Arsenal. The Spanish international, an influential member of City's recent dominance, left the field limping in the first half. Rodri, 28, is in Barcelona for further assessment and, so far, it's still to be ascertained when he will be able to recover. However, early reports seem to indicate that he could miss a considerable part of the season. After the match, Guardiola spoke: "We still haven't received the news. He will be out for some time. 

There are opinions that it might be less than people might think. We are waiting to hear from him and the doctors the final update on the surgery." Rodri's absence is a blow for City, whose ambition to win a record fifth Premier League title on consecutive terms may now hang on more uncertainty than usual. The midfielder is, of course, incomparable to anyone in the City ranks. Not once have they lost any league game in any of Rodri's last 48 appearances for the team. The only small blip during the whole of last season was a rare defeat at the hands of Manchester United in the FA Cup final, outside the beaconing stardust of his otherwise pristine campaign for club and country alike.

 

It is not enough to put Guardiola off his stride. "Rodri is irreplaceable, and the team won't play with the best midfielder in the world for a long, long time," the City boss admitted. But replacing Rodri will not be an easy task. City, who have been engaging in a battle with injuries up and down the squad, couldn't be at a worse juncture with Rodri suffering his injury. He had just come back from a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined for City's first four matches of the season, including their Community Shield loss. This was his first start in months, and it lasted just a few minutes as he twisted a knee with minimal contact from Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey.

The good news is that Rodri's ascent into prominence for Manchester City has been remarkable. Since joining the club from Atletico Madrid in 2019, he has been one of the more visible players with 260 appearances in all competitions for City and an indispensable member when City was on its path to win. His crowning moment came in 2023 when he scored the decisive goal in the Champions League final, ensuring City won its first-ever title in the competition. He was on the winning side of Euro 2024 for Spain, and he firmly established himself as one of the top midfielders in the world.

For City, that was a big ask to replace Rodri on the pitch. The boss, though, has the utmost confidence in the depth of his squad. "We don't want this, but we will still have a good season," he assured. "I trust a lot in my players, and I know they'll step up. We have faced challenges before and we will face this one head-on." As City waits for news on Rodri's situation and surgery, hopes for a title win are under extreme scrutiny. Barca will miss the Spaniard in the short term at least, and with him out of commission for the foreseeable future, Guardiola will be compelled to search for new tactical options, putting City's strength to the ultimate challenge as they seek to retain their title.