In our view, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola should bench Rodri against RB Leipzig with an eye on his side’s clash against Arsenal.
The £62.8 million (Independent) man is set to be available to face Marco Rose’s side but remains suspended against the Gunners.
However, if Manchester City do line up without Rodri against RB Leipzig, it could give them a chance to test out their midfield dynamics ahead of their much-awaited contest against Arsenal.
Why benching Rodri against RB Leipzig could give Manchester City a boost against Arsenal
If the Spanish international did come into the picture once again, he would be typically flawless and the pressure on his replacement against Mikel Arteta’s side to perform would be massive.
After all, Kalvin Phillips put in a shoddy showing against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup while Mateo Kovacic’s display against Wolves proved that he is not a No.6 in any way, shape or form.
The only untested option as a holding midfielder is Matheus Nunes, who should well be tested as the replacement for Rodri against RB Leipzig and if he were to fare well, he would have a full game under his belt in an unfamiliar position before doing the same against Arsenal.
Even if the Portuguese international does not look the part initially, the contest against the German side gives him the chance to gradually feel his way into the role and give Pep Guardiola enough evidence to work with to make a final decision before his side’s trip to the Emirates Stadium.
Apart from simply plugging and playing Matheus Nunes or whichever midfielder in place of Rodri against Leipzig, at least hypothetically, other midfield dynamics could be tested out as well that could put Manchester City in good stead against Arsenal.
For instance, how either Mateo Kovacic or Bernardo Silva play alongside Nunes as a double pivot.
Or whether Julian Alvarez should be dropped to further bolster the midfield in place of yet another midfielder.
With Rodri starting against RB Leipzig in place of any other potential defensive midfield, these experiments would give Manchester City a false sense of security in their side ahead of their game against Arsenal.
Ultimately, whether City get a result in North London perhaps primarily depends on how their midfield fares in the 27-year-old’s absence.
