Pep Guardiola is hopeful about Rodri’s injury which many reports have claimed is a long-term one.
The midfielder clashed with Thomas Partey of Arsenal in the 21st minute of the Manchester City Vs Arsenal clash and had to be taken off for treatment. Initial results suggested that the UEFA European Championships winner and Ballon d’Or 2024 candidate tore a ligament in his knee which could take up to seven months to heal.
On Monday, Rodri was filmed at an airport in Barcelona where he was headed to visit famed doctor Ramon Cugat for a second opinion. Guardiola has worked with Cugat for decades, both as a player and a manager, and regularly consults him for fitness issues for himself and his players.
While the world waits for news on Rodri’s case, Guardiola is holding on to hope that he will not spend so much time on the sidelines.
“Still we don’t have the definitive, but he will be out for a long time, a while, but maybe it will be less than we expected,” Guardiola said.
“I cannot tell you because we are waiting on the phone calls from him and the doctors to know exactly what he has and the type of surgery he has to get. I think tonight, tomorrow we will know.”
“We don’t want it, but we will still have a good season. I trust a lot in my players. I have a duty to find a solution.”
“Rodri is irreplaceable and the team won’t play with the best midfielder in the world for a long, long time. Of course it’s a big, big blow for us.”
“It’s football, it’s happened, and my duty is to find a solution, to be competitive like we have been for many years.”
‘Rodri is not here, it’s a problem. But complain? I feel sorry for him. Recover best as possible, we wait for you, and go for it. This is the challenge. Go to Newcastle, try to win, do what we have done for many years. Simple as that.”
Guardiola was also asked about the game in which Rodri got injured – Manchester City vs Arsenal. In that game, Guardiola’s former assistant, Mikel Arteta, deployed what has been termed as “dark arts”. A report from Sky Sports even claimed that Premier League clubs have filed a petition against Arsenal for this style of football. The former Barcelona manager claimed that he saw no wrong with how Arteta set up his team.
“It’s fine, they were brilliant,” the City boss added. “I admire what they have done, I cannot do that with my team.”
“I said to Mikel, they did amazing, not a problem. They know their players and do what they have to do.”
“The opponents can play how they want to. Up to us to handle them. We play a lot of teams defensively. Do you know how many times teams play like that? Millions. It’s about us.”
