Rodri fitness update following Al Hilal injury scare ahead of Manchester City training return

Yahoo

13 hours ago

Manchester City supporters can expect to see Rodri return to training as normal next week despite his injury scare at the FIFA Club World Cup, it has been reported.
While the sight of Rodri limping off the pitch against Al Hilal earlier this summer may have caused concern at the time, all indications suggest that the incident was minor and has not resulted in any long-term fitness issues.
The Spain international's role in Pep Guardiola's side has become increasingly crucial over recent seasons, and a full pre-season will be vital to City's hopes of starting the 2025/26 campaign with momentum, as well as Rodri's hopes of sufficiently building up match fitness after his recovery from last season's serious knee injury.
Rodri played a staggering number of games prior to last season and largely only missed matches when unavailable through suspension. The Ballon d'Or winner featured heavily across every competition, maintaining his reputation as one of Europe's most consistent performers in the defensive midfield role.
However, Pep Guardiola has previously admitted the team struggles without him, underlining the importance of his availability moving forward, further underpinned by the successive months City went without Rodri following his surgery on an ACL injury last October.
With City gearing up for their returning to training and sole pre-season friendly against Palermo on August 9, Guardiola will want all of his key players back in shape as early as possible.
Rodri's return to Manchester City training, particularly if he can participate fully from day one, will be a major boost as the club continues their preparations both domestically and abroad.
According to the information of the Manchester Evening News' Tyrone Marshall, City medical staff will assess Rodri's fitness next week upon his return to pre-season training at the City Football Academy.
It is reminded that the Spaniard was spotted limping out of his side's surprise defeat to Al Hilal at the FIFA Club World Cup with what appeared to be a minor problem, but the Ballon d'Or winner is expected to report back for training as normal on Monday.
With Ilkay Gündoğan's future uncertain and Mateo Kovacic recovering from an Achilles injury, Rodri's presence in central midfield becomes even more critical in the short term. City are yet to finalise their squad for the coming season, with exits from the extensive squad roster still anticipated, largely concerning the likes of Kalvin Phillips, James McAtee, and Jack Grealish.
Rodri's workload has been the subject of concern in recent months, with Pep Guardiola previously stating that the 29-year-old is in need of rest and perhaps a reduced schedule amid his non-stop run of appearances prior to his ACL setback.
However, the player himself has continually maintained the stance that he has been managing his body well during his recovery process in recent months, and is capable of maintaining high physical output if monitored correctly.
In the coming weeks, City's pre-season schedule – including the Palermo fixture and behind-the-scenes preparations – may offer valuable insight into how Guardiola intends to manage Rodri's minutes, with supporters hopeful of the midfielder playing a leading role.
Should Rodri emerge from pre-season unscathed and sharp, Manchester City will be in a strong position to build around his presence once again – something that has proven essential to their domestic and European ambitions year after year.