Manchester City have been dealt a fresh concern after Rodri reported pain in the knee that kept him sidelined for eight months. The Ballon d’Or winner missed City’s 5-1 win over Burnley on Saturday and is now a major doubt for Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Monaco. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola made it clear he will not risk his midfield anchor.<\/p>
Guardiola stressed that Rodri himself admitted he could not play through the discomfort. The Spaniard has only recently returned from his cruciate ligament injury. Rodri started three matches in a week against Manchester United, Napoli and Arsenal. The midfielder was then rested for City’s Carabao Cup tie against Huddersfield Town.<\/p>
On Friday morning, Rodri complained of severe pain in the same knee he had injured last year. It prompted immediate caution from the medical staff. Guardiola said, “Rodri was training and said, ‘I’m not able to play. I have a lot of pain in my knee. I cannot play, I cannot play.’ And I said, ‘if you cannot play, you cannot play’.”<\/em><\/p> Also Read: Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid: Three Key Takeaways from 5-2 Derby Shock<\/a><\/strong><\/p>