Manchester City star Rodri out for ‘a long, long time’ with knee ligament injury

(CNN) — Manchester City star Rodri has sustained a knee ligament injury that will keep him off the pitch indefinitely, the club has confirmed.

In a statement released on Wednesday, City said that the Spanish midfielder suffered “ligament injury to his right knee” during the first half of Sunday’s draw with Arsenal, adding that he traveled to Spain to see a specialist after preliminary tests in Manchester.

The club also said: “Assessment remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the injury and expected prognosis.”

However, speaking Tuesday night after the team’s 2-1 League Cup win over Watford, manager Pep Guardiola explained that he was not expecting the midfielder to return soon.

“Still we don’t have the definitive (diagnosis) but he will be out for a long time, a while,” he said, according to Reuters.

“There are some opinions that it may be less than we expect. Right now, I can’t tell you. We’re waiting on the last phone calls from the doctors. What he has and what type of surgery he has to get.”

Rodri has established himself as one of the most important players in a City side which has won each of the last four Premier League titles, as well as the Champions League in 2023.

The midfielder also played a key role in Spain winning a record fourth European Championship over the summer. His play for club and country have led to his being one of the main contenders for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, the annual soccer award celebrating the best players in the men’s and women’s game.

He is one of four City players nominated for the 2024 edition of soccer’s most coveted individual prize.

Last season, the Citizens lost just three Premier League matches, with all three defeats coming during a period when Rodri was suspended. Since the Spaniard’s Premier League debut, City has lost a third of the games from which he has been absent.

“When a team doesn’t play with the best midfielder in the world for a long, long time, it is a big blow,” said Guardiola. “I will find a solution. There is an alternative, we will do it. When you have one player who is irreplaceable, as a team we have to find a solution.”

The midfielder sustained the injury just five days after telling a press conference that players are close to going on strike to protest an increase in games. His comments came ahead of City’s first game in a revamped Champions League which sees teams play two extra games before the knockout stage.

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