Manchester City will be without one of their key players for the foreseeable future.
Making just his second Premier League appearance of the season in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, Rodri was forced off the pitch with a suspected knee injury.
After it was initially reported that Rodri had damaged his ACL and was set to miss the rest of the season, City shared a post on their website saying that the midfielder had suffered some ligament damage but didn’t specify how long he could be out of action for.
When it was first claimed that the midfielder could be sidelined for the remainder of the campaign, one pundit and former top-flight player shared his thoughts on the situation and what it could mean for not only City but the other clubs operating at the top of the Premier League table.
- READ MORE: Who is Rodri? Get to know Man City’s modest midfield maestro who won a Champions League final
Darren Bent assesses Rodri’s injury blow to Man City
Speaking on talkSPORT (24/9 4:17 PM), Darren Bent had this to say about Rodri’s injury including how City will move forward without him and if it could make other title-chasing sides feel more confident about beating City to the trophy this season.
He said: “He is so important to what Manchester City do. So durable, I mean he was until this injury but, he’s a born winner. When he plays and they play, they win.
“You’ve got more of a chance, but I still look at City’s team and think they’ve got some wonderful players. They’ve not got anyone to the level of what he can bring in that position.
“Whoever they put in there, [Mateo] Kovacic or [John] Stones, whatever they do, it’s going to be a drop-off because he’s so good at that role.
“You do go hmm, maybe there’s a chance but still with Manchester City and the players they’ve got and Pep the way he is, they’ll find other ways to, not mask it, but to get results without Rodri.”
Guardiola will need a plan to move forward without Rodri
Speaking to the media (via Man City) after seeing his side beat Watford 2-1 in the Carabao Cup, Guardiola said this about how he and his players will carry on through the season in the absence of Rodri.
He said: “I trust my players. I need to find a solution. Rodri is irreplaceable. Of course, it’s a big blow for us. In football, it happens. My duty is to find a solution to be competitive and continue to be there. A problem for our opponents. I will find a solution. We will do it.”
Even though City have gone unbeaten in the league so far this season without seeing Rodri complete a full 90 minutes, not having the Spaniard available for potentially the rest of the season will still be a massive blow for the Blues.
Having played such a key role in their previous campaign where he featured in all but four league games – three of which City lost – this makes it easy to see why Bent thinks other teams could be feeling more confident about their chances of knocking the Citizens off top spot.
