Man City midfielder Rodri won't be fully fit until September, says Pep Guardiola
'Rodri's getting better but he had a big injury in the last game against Al-Hilal and for the last five or six weeks,' said manager Pep Guardiola.
'He's training right now and in the last two or three days is better. Hopefully maybe the international break is when he will be really, really fit.
'Hopefully, in the games (prior to that) he can play some minutes but the important thing is to not have pain because we don't want him to be come back and injured, come back and injured.
'We will try desperately to avoid that but he's training the last two or three days with us and that's good.'
Rodri, Phil Foden and Mateo Kovacic – who had surgery on an Achilles injury in the summer – were all left out of City's travelling squad for the Anglo Palermitan Trophy game against Palermo in Sicily.
Asked if they would be available for next weekend's Premier League opener at Wolves, Guardiola added: 'Ninety minutes for Rodri I don't think so.
'Phil, hopefully, it depends on the problem but it's a long week so hopefully but Kova (is) injured until September or October. Hopefully (he will be back) earlier.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Oliver Glasner hints he could leave Crystal Palace over transfer frustrations
Crystal Palace have remained quiet in the transfer market amid their ongoing battle for a place in the Europa League and boss Oliver Glasner could add to their woes Oliver Glasner has thrown his Crystal Palace future into doubt by hinting he could follow his stars out of the door. The Eagles have endured a rollercoaster summer despite winning last season's FA Cup. They have been embroiled in a legal battle with UEFA having been stripped of their place in the Europa League due to multi-club ownership rules. And that has had a knock-on effect on their summer business. Just two players have arrived - Borna Sosa from Ajax and goalkeeper Walter Benitez - while Palace's star players continue to be linked with exits. Eberechi Eze is being eyed by Arsenal, with captain Marc Guehi the subject of interest from Liverpool. Recent reports have claimed that the Reds are in pole position for the ex-Chelsea man, who has a year left on his contract. And now, Glasner has hinted that if the defender leaves, he could follow him out of the door. Speaking ahead of Sunday's Community Shield clash with Crystal Palace, the Austrian said: "Marc and me - we have the same fate. I can't speak, you have to ask Marc. At the end, it's always the player's decision. "Marc decides about his future. Of course, everybody wants Marc to sign a new contract. It will be his decision. Everybody wants to keep this squad together as it did so well. I don't know how often this happens here at Palace. "We never know what will happen in this sometimes crazy transfer market." Asked if his decision hinges on the rest of the window, Glasner replied: 'We will see.' On Palace's lack of action so far, he added: 'I said if we want to be better than last year, then it's my advice, 'Let's sign at least two players, then we can achieve this'. To be competitive in four competitions. If somebody thinks that's nonsense, OK, let's see. 'If Crystal Palace wants to play European football, wants to climb the Premier League table and reproduce the success again, it's just what you have to do. Everybody knows this in the building. 'Of course, it helps if players are in early when you start with pre-season because here you have time to train. We are quite passive. We are short of numbers, we have to add players, especially with quality.' Palace get their new season underway at Wembley on Sunday ahead of beginning their Premier League campaign against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a week's time. Eze's future could potentially be decided by then. The England winger has a £62.5m release clause written into his contract at Selhurst Park, albeit that only remains active until August 15. And should no club make a move before then, Palace are expected to demand considerably more than that.
Daily Mirror
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Ruben Amorim identifies 'unbelievable' Man Utd star who will provide selection headache
Manchester United only managed a draw against FIorentina but Ruben Amorim was impressed with one of his attacking stars despite relying on an own goal against the Italian side Ruben Amorim hailed Mason Mount's performance as 'unbelievable' and is anticipating a number of selection headaches heading into Manchester United's first Premier League match of the season. The Red Devils welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford when they kick off their campaign next Sunday. United wrapped up their pre-season preparations with an underwhelming draw against Fiorentina. Amorim's men were forced to come from behind after some dreadful defending at a corner, and only recorded a draw thanks to an own goal. Nevertheless, United's new-look frontline, short of Benjamin Sesko who was presented to fans ahead of the game, showed glimpses of promise. Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo did not get on the scoresheet but will have lofty expectations having come in with a proven Premier League record. It was Mount that drew praise from Amorim on Saturday afternoon for his role in the frontline however. The ex-Chelsea star proved his versatility and persistence and could be set to start the season, with Sesko only having a week to get up to speed in time for Arsenal. Amorim said: "It's unbelievable. The way he works is unbelievable. "I move him all the time in different positions and he knows every position. But also the other guys, it was a good test to prepare for the first game." And Amorim is pleased he is going to have difficult decisions to make in the coming days. The Portuguese coach does not yet seem set on his starting XI, though he knows where he is edging towards. "That is a good thing and it's supposed to be like that," he said. "This is the normal thing. "I need to think and the players need to fight during the week to change my mind. I have one idea but they can change my mind during the week." Amorim wants to see his team continue to improve after going unbeaten during pre-season. The 40-year-old conceded it was a difficult outing. "Today was a tough match," he said, "We had some difficult moments, especially in the beginning of the first half and the beginning of the second half. We struggled to find the right moment to press. "But we controlled other moments of the game. We can do better but it was a perfect game for preparation to show us where we need to improve." Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Owen Hargreaves backs Chelsea summer signing to 'blow everyone away'
Chelsea have spent almost £250m on summer signings and Owen Hargreaves believes Estevao Willian could be the most exciting of the lot. The Premier League club agreed to sign Brazil winger Estevao from Palmeiras in May but agreed the move would not take place until the summer. Estevao scored 27 goals in 83 appearances for boyhood club Palmeiras, quickly establishing himself as one of the most highly-rated players in Brazil. Despite only turning 18 earlier in the year, Estevao has already earned five caps for Brazil and received praise from national team boss Carlo Ancelotti, formerly of Real Madrid. Estevao featured in the Club World Cup for Palmeiras before finally moving to Chelsea and playing under Enzo Maresca in pre-season. In The Mixer: Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every week – sign up, it's an open goal. It took the teenager just 18 minutes to score in his first appearance at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea beat Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 on Friday night. Chelsea have high hopes for Estevao , who was signed by Nike at the age of 10, and Hargreaves believes he will 'blow people away' next season. Asked who he views as Chelsea's most exciting summer signing, the former England midfielder told TNT Sports: 'Estevao… this kid is like Cole Palmer with his style of play. 'I think people are going to be blown away by him. Obviously he's very young but talent-wise, he's going to get people off their seats. 'Him and Palmer together with Joao Pedro as well… I mean, if Chelsea just add a goalkeeper they'll be in the top-four, for sure.' 'Estevao is the best player to have emerged from Brazilian football since Neymar,' the head of Palmeiras' academy, Joao Paulo Sampaio, told BBC Sport. 'You watch him and you fall in love. 'He already impresses with his technique but, like Neymar at this same point in his career, he has not yet matured physically and is not as strong as Endrick, so he could still develop a lot. 'That's what amazes everyone and makes them think that he will reach a much higher level. 'When we won the 2022 U-17 Brazilian Championship title, Estevao ended up breaking one of his toes during a decisive game. 'But even so he still didn't want to leave [the game], so he came to me at half-time saying, 'I'll go back for the second half'. And I challenged him: 'You better go back.' 'And so he had a painkilling injection in his toe and told me, 'I'll go back, score a goal and look for you in the stands to shush you.' That's how strong he is mentally. 'I would say that with Estevao it's not a matter of whether this place is easier or not because he's the kind of player that just goes there and gets things done. 'When you are an extra-class like him, that's how you do it.' Real Madrid hero Ancelotti gave Estevao his first start for Brazil in June and later described him as a 'special talent'. 'He's got a special talent,' the Brazil boss said. 'He's got character, he's a good person, he's humble. 'He seems fine to me, but with a young player we have to be patient and careful. He has the characteristics to be very important for the future of the national team.' Former Chelsea winger Willian, meanwhile, said of the Premier League's new wonderkid: 'He has great potential like [Barcelona winger] Lamine Yamal, they have a similar style. More Trending 'I hope he can be very successful in England playing for Chelsea, that he can score a lot of goals in the Chelsea jersey and will help them to win titles.' Chelsea recovered from a blip midway through last season to end the campaign with Champions League football secured and a Conference League trophy in the bag. Maresca's side continued their encouraging form over the summer, beating the likes of PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to win the Club World Cup. Chelsea begin their 2025-26 Premier League campaign on Sunday against London rivals Crystal Palace. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Chelsea make Marc Guehi transfer decision after Levi Colwill injury MORE: 'Unbelievable' – Ruben Amorim singles out Man Utd star ahead of Arsenal clash MORE: Joe Cole names 'signing of the summer' after Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea spend £900m
