Paul Merson has said that Rodri is irreplaceable for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
The midfielder was unavailable for City’s midweek defeat against Aston Villa after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season last weekend in the 3-3 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.
With the Citizens losing to Unai Emery’s side, one pundit has shared his thoughts on the impact Rodri has on his side.
Merson says Rodri is irreplaceable
Written in his latest column for Sportskeeda where he previewed all of this weekend’s Premier League fixtures, Merson had this to say about Rodri and his importance to City.
He said: “Pep Guardiola can have all the talent in the world, but Rodri is absolutely irreplaceable. He’s like the diesel or the petrol in the car – you can have the best cars in the world, but it won’t function unless there’s fuel!
“Rodri is a huge miss. A handful of other players like Manuel Akanji and Rico Lewis have played in that position, but the Spanish midfielder is just different class.”
This Premier League season has seen City lose three games, all of which Rodri was unavailable for due to suspension, which shows how much they miss him when he doesn’t play.
In fact, the Spaniard has won more tackles (16) than any other player at the Manchester club in the league this season.
Also, with the 27-year-old playing more progressive passes (110) and having the joint-highest total of shot-creating actions (58) in the squad, this showcases how important Rodri is for City in an attacking sense as well as a defensive one.
Taking all of that into account, it’s understandable why Merson thinks the Spain international is so vital for his side.
Looking ahead to the rest of the campaign, everyone at the club will be hoping that Rodri can avoid getting any more suspensions or picking up any injuries, as his absence clearly has a negative effect on the team.
