Manchester City are on the hunt to win a fifth consecutive Premier League title.
On the final day of the previous campaign, City became the first side to win four top-flight trophies in a row.
The two previous seasons have seen Pep Guardiola’s side battle it out with Arsenal to win the title, with the Gunners finishing just two points behind City last term having closed the gap from five points in the season before that.
With just five league games played, the Manchester club have been hit with a big injury blow to one of their key players.
Specifically, after seeing Rodri get forced off the pitch with a knee injury in last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, it was reported that the midfielder had suffered ligament damage.
This has since led to one pundit and former City player, who knows what it takes to win trophies and deal with injury issues, having his say on how this particular blow for the Blues has impacted the race for the Premier League title.
- READ MORE: Who is Micah Richards? Step into former Man City right-back and larger-than-life pundit’s world
Micah Richards discusses the Premier League title race following Rodri injury news
On the subject of Rodri’s knee injury and the prospect of him being out of action for a significant period of time, Micah Richards said this in a recent edition of The Rest Is Football on how he now views the title race between City and Arsenal.
He said: “Yes, I think it makes it more balanced in terms of Arsenal’s chances of winning.
“I don’t think it makes them favourites, but I think it’s 50-50 now.”
What has been said about Rodri’s injury?
Earlier this week, a post on City’s official website confirmed Rodri had suffered ligament damage in his knee but didn’t give a specific timescale of when he could be back in action as the assessment “remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the injury and expected prognosis.”
After seeing his side beat Watford 2-1 in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, Guardiola said that Rodri will be out for a “long time” and will need surgery to fix the issue.
Bearing in mind how the only three league games that City lost last season happened to be the three matches that Rodri missed through suspension, this could be a factor as to why Richards thinks the title race is currently even in terms of who could win it this time around.
Either way, Guardiola’s main focus will now be on how he can keep his side winning without having the midfielder in the team for the foreseeable future.
