Rodri will not be playing for Manchester City for the foreseeable future, and Jamie Carragher believes he knows when his absence will sting the most.
The Spaniard suffered an ACL injury earlier this season during the Premier League game against Arsenal.
City fans were dismayed by the injury news about Rodri, and we are currently seeing Pep Guardiola trying to work out how best to replace him.
So far, we have mainly seen Mateo Kovacic operate in front of the backline, with support sometimes from Ilkay Gundogan. Rico Lewis has also been inverting.
It could take a fair while for Manchester City to find the best formula, with Rodri just so difficult to replace for all that he brings.
He’s obviously going to be missed, but Jamie Carragher has shared when his absence could affect City the most this season.
Carragher says Man City will miss Rodri in Champions League latter stages
Carragher was speaking about City on Monday Night Football last night.
Carragher is still backing Man City to win the title, pointing to Arsenal’s ‘huge’ disciplinary issue at the moment which has already cost the Gunners points.
But he’s in no doubt Rodri will be missed going forward. And he feels it’s the Champions League where the Spaniard could be missed the most.
He said (via Sky Sports): “I think missing Rodri will hurt them. I think it’ll hurt them more in the Champions League, when you’re playing higher-class opposition when you get into the quarter-finals and semi-finals. That’s when they may feel it a little bit more.
“I still think they can win the league without Rodri, even though he’s one of the top players in the Premier League.”
- READ MORE: Who is Rodri? Get to know Man City’s modest midfield maestro who won a Champions League final
Carragher is right about Rodri
Realistically, City will likely miss Rodri in every game they play between now and when he returns.
Ultimately, no one can do what he does in terms of defending, dominating games and also offering an attacking threat.
Guardiola’s side will win plenty more games this season without the Spaniard, and there are some decent options to cover. Kovacic has been doing well so far.
| Rodri for Man City (all competitions) |
| Appearances – 260 |
| Goals – 26 |
| Assists – 30 |
| Trophies won – 11 |
But Carragher is right. There is potential for City to miss Rodri in the Champions League especially.
Perhaps not so much against Sparta Prague on Wednesday night. But the likes of Sporting CP, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain could all be tricky, and then you’ve got the knockout stages where, theoretically, stronger opposition lie in wait.
Others will really have to step up, and it will be particularly interesting to see if City try to sign someone in January – which, historically, is not something the club does very often.
