Mandatory Credit: Amanda Perobelli-Reuters via Imagn Images

Rodri Injury Update – What Happened to Rodri and How Serious Is His Injury?

Rodri’s injury sparks fresh doubts over City’s long-term midfield plans

Mandatory Credit: Amanda Perobelli-Reuters via Imagn Images

Manchester City’s midfield crisis deepened on Sunday as Rodri was forced off in little more than 20 minutes of their 1-0 Premier League victory at Brentford, holding his hamstring after a worrying early setback. The 29-year-old, who has battled recurring injuries since undergoing ACL surgery in September 2024, was replaced by Nico Gonzalez. Rodri’s early exit comes just weeks after his return to action and follows a long road of recovery that City manager Pep Guardiola has been managing with caution.

🚨⚠️ Rodri leaves the pitch with muscle injury, bad news for Manchester City with medical staff set to assess the midfielder. pic.twitter.com/GEos1Tgksg
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 5, 2025

The Long Road of Rodri’s Recovery

Manchester City’s midfield troubles worsened on Sunday when Rodri was substituted in the 21st minute of their 1-0 Premier League win at Brentford. The 29-year-old Spaniard clutched his hamstring before hobbling off for Nico Gonzalez. This setback comes just weeks after his return from a lengthy layoff and adds to Rodri’s string of injury struggles under Pep Guardiola’s watch.

City adapted without their midfield linchpin, with Erling Haaland’s ninth-minute strike enough to secure victory. Yet Rodri’s early exit, after featuring for just over 20 minutes, raises fresh concerns over his fitness and workload. Especially given Guardiola’s warning ahead of the match that Rodri might need the rest of the season to reach his best form.

BREAKING: Rodri says he is ‘good’ after ‘feeling a little bit’ in his hamstring vs Brentford.

Rodri: “It seems like it’s not that much…”

The #ManCity midfielder confirms he will not join up with Spain’s national team, but hopes to play in @ManCity’s next game.

[via @spbajko]
— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) October 5, 2025

“Rodri has been and is an outstanding player,” Guardiola said Friday. “Everybody knows it. But I said to Rodri, and maybe he struggled to understand: it’s not about six months or seven months… No. Rodri will be good at the World Cup with Spain next summer. This season will be how we handle it, step by step.”

Rodri Injury History Over the Years

Rodri’s fitness struggles have been a recurring theme since joining Manchester City in 2020. The midfielder suffered a serious injury during a Premier League match against Arsenal in September 2024, which included a meniscus tear and a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, requiring surgery and sidelining him for eight months.

Since his return, Rodri has faced several setbacks. Damage to the same knee at the Club World Cup forced him to miss games, and persistent muscle strains have complicated his comeback. Guardiola has managed his minutes carefully, but Rodri still played three consecutive matches in a week, a decision that may have backfired.

Rodri: "I feel a little bit in the hamstring but seems like it's not that much." [@SkySportsNews]

pic.twitter.com/GCEoyCSbAA
— ManCityzens (@ManCityzenscom) October 5, 2025

The latest hamstring injury at Brentford marks another twist in his challenging return. For a player once considered Manchester City’s midfield anchor and Ballon d’Or contender, these setbacks raise pressing questions about his role in Guardiola’s plans and whether his peak form will return before the 2026 World Cup.

Mandatory Image Credit: Amanda Perobelli-Reuters via Imagn Images

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Rudra Dubey

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I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.