Jun 30, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Manchester City midfielder Rodri (16) looks on after a round of 16 match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lee Smith-Reuters via Imagn Images

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Manchester City Suffer Rodri Injury Setback: Ballon d’Or Winner Not Expected To Be Fully Fit Until September

Manchester City have been dealt a fresh blow with Pep Guardiola confirming that Rodri will not be fully fit until at least mid-September following a setback in his recovery. Notably, Rodri missed most of the last season after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Rodri’s importance to City has only grown over the years, with Guardiola openly acknowledging the team’s struggles in his absence last year.

In Rodri’s absence, City were knocked out early in both the Champions League and Carabao Cup last season. They also suffered a stunning FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace. Meanwhile, a shock exit to Al Hilal in the Club World Cup last-16 was a tough pill to swallow for Guardiola’s men.

Rodri Will Be Fit After the International Break: Guardiola

The Spain international battled back from the ACL injury to feature at the FIFA Club World Cup. However, the Ballon d’Or Winner picked up a groin problem in the last-16 clash against Al-Hilal. As a result, Rodri has been limited to mostly individual training since the squad’s return from summer break. The midfielder has taken part in just two full sessions this week.

Guardiola said,

“Rodri is getting better but he had a big injury in the last game against Al Hilal. He has trained better in the last few days, hopefully after the international break is when he will be really fit.

“Hopefully in these games he can play some minutes but what is important is he doesn’t have pain because we don’t want this Rodri coming back injured. We try desperately to avoid that. He has been training the last two sessions with us and that’s good.”

🚨⚠️ Rodri has suffered injury setback and will be out at least until mid September.

Guardiola: “Rodri is getting better but had a big injury against Al Hilal. He's trained better, we hope after international break is when he will be really fit”, says via @spbajko. pic.twitter.com/FlRfmp3EBD
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 8, 2025

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Rodri has been left out of the travelling squad for City’s friendly in Palermo and will miss the Premier League opener against Wolves. While he could make cameo appearances against Spurs and Brighton, Guardiola intends to manage Rodri’s minutes carefully until after the first international break.

Rodri’s absence is a major concern for City, who struggled without him during the 2024-25 season, ultimately finishing third and going trophyless. New signing Tijjani Reijnders is likely to step in for the opening fixtures.

Rodri is one of four players not making the trip to avoid fitness risks, with Phil Foden, Josko Gvardiol, and youngster Claudio Echeverri also short of full fitness. Foden and Gvardiol, however, are pushing to be ready for the clash at Wolves.

The travelling squad for our trip to Palermo has been confirmed 🩵👇
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 8, 2025

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Pep Guardiola

Premier League 2025-26

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Abhinav Goel

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I am a soccer writer at The PlayOffs, covering everything from match analysis to transfer buzz and tactical deep dives. Ever since I was a kid, soccer has been more than just a sport to me—it’s been an obsession. Playing and watching the game from a young age fueled my passion, eventually leading me into the world of sports media and betting. Now, I get to analyze the sport I love and bring the latest updates to fans worldwide.