Rodri to miss rest of season after ACL surgery

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been ruled out for the rest of the season, manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed.

The club have now learned the influential Spain international suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage to his right knee in last weekend’s draw with Premier League rivals Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.

The 28-year-old has undergone surgery and will not be available again until next season.

“He had surgery this morning – ACL and some meniscus,” Guardiola said.

“So, next season he will be here. This season is over (for him).

“It’s a lot of months without an important player for us, everybody knows it.”

Fellow midfielder Kevin De Bruyne will also miss this Saturday’s game at Newcastle.

Rodri’s absence will leave a huge void, with the champions having not lost any of their last 48 Premier League matches in which he has featured.

He has been a vital component of four title-winning sides since joining the club in 2019. He scored the winning goal in the 2023 Champions League final and is one of the leading contenders to win this year’s Ballon d’Or award after helping Spain to Euro 2024 success and being named Player of the Tournament.

Only last week Rodri joined a host of high-profile players to speak out about the ever-increasing fixture workload facing the game’s top stars, and said he thought players could be “close” to striking because of the overloaded calendar.

Guardiola said: “What he gives us, we don’t have a similar player but the other players altogether can replace what Rodri has given since he arrived.

“We have to do it as a team and we have to find the way to play during a lot (of) months without an important player. Everybody knows it.

“But there is not one day in the last years where I was not confident. Of course we are stronger with him, we know that, we don’t want it, but football happens.

“We have magnificent players and we will find the solution.”

Rodri had already endured a frustrating start to the campaign having suffered an injury in the Euro 2024 final.

He returned to action for Spain during the September international break and the Arsenal encounter had been his first start for City.

Guardiola said: “Absolutely the national team want to do the best for Rodri. He came back and after he was injured.

“He played really good against Inter and then that happened against Arsenal. It is not related to the fact he went to the national team.”

Ipswich, meanwhile, dismissed the suggestion that loan signing Kalvin Phillips could return to City following Rodri’s season-ending injury.

England international Phillips joined Ipswich on a season-long loan last month and boss Kieran McKenna was unclear on Friday whether the deal included a recall clause and City having the option to cut short his spell.

But an Ipswich spokesperson has subsequently told the PA news agency there is no recall clause in Phillips’ agreement and the 28-year-old midfielder will spend the season at Portman Road.

Asked at his press conference ahead of Sunday’s Premier League home game against Aston Villa, McKenna told reporters of Phillips’ situation: “I don’t think there is (a recall clause), but I can’t tell you 100%.

“I know the plan from our side, from his side, from Man City’s side is that he has a season with us and gets back to playing regularly.

“It’s about him helping our team and us helping him build up to a good place in his career. That’s 100% the plan.”

Guardiola has also confirmed playmaker Kevin De Bruyne will also miss Saturday’s trip to Newcastle.

The Belgium international has missed the last two games with a pelvic problem sustained in the Champions League opener against Inter Milan earlier this month.

Guardiola said: “I don’t know when he will be back. Maybe before the international break, or after. We will see.

“Since Eddie Howe was there, Newcastle have been one of the toughest, strongest opponents, at home and especially away. We are going ready for the battle.”