Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has admitted he does not know when Rodri will return from injury as he confirmed that the Ballon d'Or winning midfielder will miss Saturday's Premier League clash with Everton. Rodri suffered a hamstring injury in City's 1-0 win at Brentford before the international break, missing two World Cup qualifiers for Spain as a result.

Rodri's injury pain goes on

Rodri used to be renowned for his ability to play practically every game for City and Spain but he has not been the same player since suffering a brutal knee injury against Arsenal in September 2024. Rodri tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the 1-1 draw with the Gunners and also damaged his meniscus. He underwent surgery on the ACL and meniscus and Guardiola warned at the time that he could be out for up to 12 months. Despite Guardiola also stressing the need for Rodri to be patient with his recovery time and not to rush back to action, he was playing again eight months later, playing seven minutes as a substitute against Bournemouth in May.

He then took part in the Club World Cup in June but he had to be substituted after coming on in City's defeat to Al-Hilal in the last 16. He missed City's season-opener against Wolves but played against Tottenham as a substitute and then started against Brighton, Manchester United, Napoli and Arsenal. However, alarm bells began ringing when he was not in the squad to face Burnley, prompting Guardiola to declare that he was not ready to play three games in a week. Nonetheless, Rodri started against Monaco, although he was taken off just after an hour. He started against Brentford four days later but only lasted 21 minutes. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGuardiola unsure when Rodri will be back

Rodri had sought to assuage fears about the injury after the Brentford game, telling : "I felt a little bit in the hamstring but it seems as though it's not that much. I stretched a bit, like in the final of the Euros [when he had to go off injured]. But the most important thing is it's not that big." Two weeks later, however, it appeared that he was yet to recover from the injury. 

Guardiola confirmed that Rodri was not available for City's match against Everton and could not give any indication about when he might return. "No news," the coach told a press conference. "He is not ready for tomorrow. I don't know when he will be back."

City fans fearing for Rodri's fitness

There was some concern among City fans on on the extent of the second injury Rodri has suffered since he tore his ACL.

"Rodri should take a year off and come back without any injury for a whole season," wrote @Starboy_Jeff01. "Rodri is becoming an injury prone concern, will he still be the same player?" added @Omarkakk.

And it was worth recalling what Guardiola had said earlier this month, hinting that he felt Rodri had returned too soon from the injury. "I said to Rodri, maybe he’s struggled to understand that this is not about six or seven months," Guardiola had said ahead of the Brentford game. "'I'm back, I'll play and I’ll be like the Rodri from before'– no! Rodri will be good at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Spain, next season – he will be the best Rodri. This season, it will be how you handle it, step by step. It’s normal. For one year, he’s been on the massage table. The body changes, the rhythm changes and everything. It’s a question of time. He will be back."

Getty Images SportKovacic can help solve Rodri problem

Rodri will be a doubt for City's next Champions League game away to his former side Villarreal on Tuesday and Sunday's trip to Aston Villa. While City are naturally concerned about Rodri given his importance and the fact that they very rarely lose matches when he plays, there was some good news this week as Mateo Kovacic made his comeback after undergoing surgery on his Achilles tendon in June. The midfielder played 69 minutes for Croatia against Gibraltar and is in the frame to play his first game for City since May against Everton.

"Maybe 50-60 minutes," Guardiola said of Kovacic's involvement this weekend. "He needs quality moment, quality time and quality minutes. It's important he is back step by step."

The coach also said Rayan Ait-Nouri and Omar Marmoush had resumed training after their injury lay-offs and were nearing a return. Everton have lost just once since the opening day of the season, with City loanee Jack Grealish helping inspire their positive start to the season. Guardiola said he was pleased to see Grealish's return to form although the midfielder will be unable to help his new side as he is barred from playing against his parent club due to the terms of his loan deal.