Man City endure damage blow as Rodri ‘sustains torn cruciate ligament’
Manchester City star Rodri could be ‘ruled out for the remainder of the season’ after reports in Spain have claimed the midfielder suffered a ‘torn cruciate ligament in his right knee’ during his side’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal.
According to MARCA the City defender ‘sustained a cruciate ligament tear’ during Sunday’s game at the Etihad Stadium. They claim a ‘more definitive diagnosis’ will be available later on Monday with the midfielder ‘set to undergo tests in Spain’.
The Spanish midfielder went down clutching his leg in agony after only 16 minutes of the Premier League clash, after seeming to jar his knee while contesting Arsenal’s Thomas Partey for the ball inside his own penalty area.
The 28-year-old writhed on the ground in pain, before appearing to hold back tears as he limped from the field alongside City’s medical staff.
MARCA claims that the Spaniard ‘is currently travelling to Madrid to undergo a new examination to confirm the serious injury. He also plans to visit several specialists to make a decision regarding the operation.’
His absence will be a colossal loss for Man City, with Rodri’s influence in the side having helped City clinch their last four Premier League titles.
It was also his goal and man-of-the-match performance during the 2022-23 Champions League final against Inter Milan, that helped the Cityzens clinch their first European Cup.
Fears over their star midfielder’s fitness were evident following the game, with Bernardo Silva revealing to reporters that the Euro 2024 winner was ‘in a bad way’.
‘I don’t know, the truth is I don’t know,’ Silva said when asked on Rodri’s condition. ‘He’s walking, I don’t know if there’s anything else, but so far we don’t know. I think we’ll know more tomorrow.
‘I don’t think [he] left [on crutches], not now. But he left in a bad way, he wasn’t very well, he asked to be substituted. Let’s see what the doctors say.’
Mateo Kovacic was brought on to replace City’s linchpin. And in Rodri’s absence, Arsenal would go on to cancel out Erling Haaland’s opener, with Riccardo Califiori netting the equaliser.
While Rodri’s absence may have had a huge impact on the match, it could also be a huge moment in the title race.
With the Spaniard in the side, Guardiola’s title machine have won 74 per cent of their games and lost only 11 per cent.
Without Rodri, City have a 64 per cent winning record and have lost 24 per cent of their games.
Rather incredibly, City lost only three league games last season when Rodri had been absent through suspension.
In May, City suffered defeat in the FA Cup final by their rivals Manchester United. But it was the first time since February 2023 that Rodri had lost a game while featuring for City.
The defender had gone on a 74-match unbeaten run with Guardiola’s side, the most of any player in Europe, surpassing Paolo Maldini and Demetrio Albertini’s record at AC Milan.
More to follow…
