The 2024/25 campaign has been an underwhelming one for Man City.
Pep Guardiola’s side went from winning four Premier League titles in a row to fighting for a spot in next season’s Champions League, however, the season can still be salvaged should City achieve this, in addition to winning the FA Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 2 |  ArsenalArsenal | 34 | 18 | 13 | 3 | 63 | 29 | 34 | 67 |
| 3 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 34 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 65 | 44 | 21 | 62 |
| 4 |  Man CityManchester City | 34 | 18 | 7 | 9 | 66 | 43 | 23 | 61 |
| 5 |  ChelseaChelsea | 34 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 59 | 40 | 19 | 60 |
Guardiola has admitted he has played a role in the disappointment of the current season, but the Spanish coach believes he and everyone at the Manchester club have learned from the experience, which is a reason Premier League champions Liverpool expect Man City to bounce back.
Another huge factor was the season-ending injury suffered by Rodri against Arsenal at the start of the campaign and sources have now told Manchester City News when the Spaniard is expected to return to action.
- READ MORE: Paul Scholes says Manchester City have a midfielder who’s actually even better than Rodri
Man City have Rodri return date in mind
An ACL injury is one of the worst that can happen to a footballer and having been out of action for months, this week was a big one as Rodri returned to training with Man City.
During his press conference on Thursday, Guardiola said that the Man City doctors have told him that Rodri feels good, but the midfielder is not expected to feature against Wolves on Friday night.
The hope was that the Spaniard would be fully ready to compete at the FIFA Club World Cup this summer but a return date could now be sooner than this, as the 28-year-old will need minutes in his legs before travelling to America.
Sources have told Manchester City News that Man City hope to give Rodri some playing time in Kevin De Bruyne’s farewell game against Bournemouth on 20 May, which would also give fans the chance to welcome the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner back after months on the sidelines.
This could also see the midfielder take part in the FA Cup final and although he is unlikely to start against Crystal Palace, those at Man City believe the Spain international will feature in some form.
- READ MORE: Pep Guardiola shares important Erling Haaland fitness update ahead of potential FA Cup final return
Man City with and without Rodri
Rodri is often described as Man City’s most important player as the Spaniard is crucial to everything Guardiola’s side does, with and without the ball.
This is the first season the 28-year-old has been out of action for a long period of time since joining City from Atletico Madrid in 2019 and the impact has been very noticeable
| With Rodri | Metric | Without Rodri |
| 174 | Games | 50 |
| 74.1% | Win percentage | 54% |
| 10.9% | Loss percentage | 32% |
| 0.8 | Goals conceded per game | 1.2 |
| 7.1 | Shots conceded per game | 9.4 |
Man City’s metrics get worse when Rodri is not around, which is why the Premier League giants have to approach the midfielder’s situation with caution, as further injuries are common for a player who has been out of action for a long time, evident in the case of Oscar Bobb.
Should Rodri feature in some capacity against Bournemouth and in the FA Cup final, this would be a huge boost for Man City fans, as they could get a glimpse of what next season could look like with the Ballon d’Or winner back in their side.
