Rodri Aims for Manchester City Comeback Before Season’s End

Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who sustained an injury to his right knee during his third appearance of the season, has expressed his aspiration to be back in play before the current season concludes. The injury, a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, occurred in September during City’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal. Manager Pep Guardiola had previously indicated that this injury would prevent Rodri from playing for the remainder of the season. In Rodri’s absence, City has not secured a victory in their last six matches across all competitions. The Spain international is keen to assist his team-mates before the conclusion of the season. Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Rodri stated: “My target is to come back this season. I don’t give up on this season, [but] I don’t want to make any mistakes. My target is six or seven months.” He added: “I am doing much better than I thought. I am enjoying the rest, if it possible to say it that way.” Rodri further commented: “My feeling was, not like a crack, the knee was stable. I was confident it wasn’t too bad. But I have a positive mentality now and that’s it.” He also mentioned: “The first month and a half was bad in terms of pain, I couldn’t walk, but now it is easier.” The Premier League season is scheduled to conclude on May 25, following the FA Cup final on May 17. After the domestic competitions, the expanded 32-team Club World Cup, featuring Manchester City, will take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13. Within a span of several months, Rodri experienced significant events, including winning Euro 2024 with Spain, suffering a serious injury, and subsequently being awarded the 2024 Ballon d’Or. “I have lived the best and worst part of my career with the Ballon d’Or and then injury, but it gives me oxygen to come back again in a good way,” he stated. He added: “I can’t describe the emotion [of winning it]. In my generation [we] only see two guys winning the trophy [Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo].” Rodri’s achievement was somewhat overshadowed by Real Madrid’s choice to boycott the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, a decision widely perceived to be a reaction to Vinicius Jr’s failure to secure the main award. Regarding Madrid’s absence, Rodri commented: “I cannot respect the decision.” He continued: “In sport and in life, it’s important to win. But I think even more how to lose, and I say always the same – it was my moment, I didn’t want to speak about others.” Rodri further elaborated: “They didn’t want to be there – I want to be with my club, with my family, the people that were there and clapped me, and that was a fantastic moment.” While manager Guardiola might be undergoing the most challenging period of his managerial career, 28-year-old Rodri expressed his satisfaction with the City boss’s recent signing of a two-year contract extension. Rodri stated: “I used to stay behind training most of the time with the manager, talking, because I wanted information.” He added: “As the years go, you don’t need that so much, but first year was a massive change for me.” Rodri further praised Guardiola, saying: “Pep has the desire to be better every day. He has won the lot, he doesn’t need to do this. He has this hunger to go again, which is why I am so excited he has decided to stay.” He continued: “He grabs you in his room and tells you tactics, he is always there with sessions. He demands from you and if someone doesn’t push you every day, you don’t grow.” Rodri concluded his remarks on Guardiola by stating: “He is an unbelievable worker. Of course he is the best. The titles talk by themselves but also Spain, Germany and England – he has been influential everywhere.”