Guardiola Optimistic Rodri Absence Won't Be Prolonged
Pep Guardiola expects midfielder Rodri to miss no more than two to three weeks after sustaining a muscular issue during Manchester City's win at Brentford.
Early injury concern for Rodri
Manchester City midfielder Rodri was forced off inside the first 20 minutes of Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Brentford after picking up a muscular problem. The Spain international, who missed much of last season with an ACL rupture, was replaced by Nico Gonzalez at Gtech Community Stadium.
Guardiola provides update
"It’s muscular," manager Pep Guardiola confirmed, adding that he hoped Rodri would be sidelined for only "two or three weeks." The 29-year-old has made just 15 appearances since the start of the 2023-24 campaign and missed last weekend’s 5-1 win over Burnley due to knee pain.
Rationale behind cautious approach
Guardiola also defended his decision to withdraw Rodri after 60-65 minutes in City’s Champions League draw with Monaco, saying: "You always ask me why I don’t play him 90 minutes. This is why we tried to be gentle."
Haaland decisive at Brentford
Erling Haaland netted the only goal in the ninth minute, securing Guardiola’s 250th Premier League win as City boss.
Guardiola hopes a minor muscular issue will keep Rodri out for just a few weeks, validating his decision to manage the midfielder’s workload carefully.
This topic was reported by BBC Sport.
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