Rodri Suffers New Injury: Leaves the Field in Brentford vs. Man City Match

Nightmares with injuries continue for Rodri, who was substituted in the 21st minute of the Premier League match between Manchester City and Brentford. The 29-year-old midfielder underwent surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee, an injury that also affected the meniscus, suffered in a Premier League match against Arsenal in September 2024. After returning to action at the end of last season, Rodri has been working on his fitness in recent weeks, seeking to regain the form that led him to win the Ballon d’Or the previous year. Rodri received attention on the Gtech Stadium field and was seen shaking his head in disappointment before being replaced by Nico González.

City coach Pep Guardiola warned on Friday, before the match in West London, that it could take most of the season for Rodri to regain his best form. Rodri played an hour in Wednesday’s 2-2 Champions League draw in Monaco after missing City’s previous two games, and Guardiola had to carefully manage his star midfielder.

Rodri has been and is an exceptional player. Everyone knows it. But I told Rodri, and perhaps he found it hard to understand: it’s not about six or seven months [after the injury]. ‘Ah, [after] eight months I’ll play and I’ll be the Rodri of before’. No.

Pep Guardiola

Rodri will be fine in the World Cup with Spain next summer. It’s normal, he spent a year on the massage table. The body changes, the rhythm changes. It’s a matter of time. If he’s healthy and works with what he has to do, he’ll be back.