Guardiola's Plea for Patience with Rodri
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has made a public appeal for patience regarding midfielder Rodri's ongoing fitness concerns, while remaining absolutely certain the Spanish international will eventually return to his previous world-class form.
The influential midfielder has been largely absent from City's lineup, making just one brief substitute appearance in the last month during the Bournemouth match. Guardiola revealed the club is taking a cautious approach, carefully assessing whether Rodri will be fit to feature in the crucial Sunday clash against Liverpool.
A Cautious Recovery Path
Rodri's journey back to full fitness has been challenging since he suffered a significant cruciate ligament injury in September last year. Since that setback, he has started only seven matches for the Premier League champions.
Guardiola emphasised the delicate balancing act, stating, "I am 100 percent convinced he will be back and will play - it will take a little bit of time to reach the level that he had. But we have to be sure he's there [physically]."
The manager highlighted the particular difficulties of managing a player's return during a congested fixture schedule. He reflected on Rodri's last start at Brentford on 5 October, where he limped off, following his busiest period of the season which included starts against Manchester United, Napoli, and Arsenal in quick succession.
"Arsenal, three days before [that] Napoli, then United, so believe me Rodri can play one game a week but if we play Sunday then after Tuesday, Saturday after Wednesday - then go to national team - this is another kind of competition," Guardiola explained.
Managing a Long-Term Injury
Guardiola provided insight into the medical reality facing players returning from serious injuries, noting that "the history says the year after you have slight problems". The club is desperately trying to avoid any setbacks in Rodri's recovery process.
"Me as a manager, when I see Rodri and the doctors and physios say 'Rodri is ready', then he is going to play," Guardiola affirmed. "We have to be careful from now on and be sure that there's not a setback."
Despite his absence from the pitch, Rodri has remained a positive influence within the squad. Guardiola praised him as being the "best teacher" for Nico Gonzalez, who has been operating as City's defensive midfielder in Rodri's absence.
"All I want is Rodri to be happy, he starts to smile and enjoy again," the manager expressed. "It's been tough. He's one of the more competitive football players I've ever met in my career and how he pushes his mates is unbelievable."
Guardiola also offered encouragement about the recovery timeline, suggesting "the toughest period is gone" and that Rodri is now approaching the final stages of his rehabilitation before making a full return to the team.
