Rodri Reveals When He Could Make His Comeback from Injury Nightmare
Manchester City's central midfielder Rodri remains optimistic that the upcoming international break will provide sufficient time for him to fully heal from the hamstring issue that forced his early exit during Sunday's victory against Brentford.
Head coach Pep Guardiola has been vocal about his worries regarding Rodri's physical condition over the long haul. The 2024 Ballon d'Or recipient is merely a year removed from an ACL setback that restricted him to only three Premier League matches last season and has already accumulated more playing time this term than he managed throughout the entire 2024–25 season.
Recent fitness issues caused Rodri to be absent from the 5–1 triumph over Burnley, but he was immediately reinstated to the starting eleven for Sunday's away fixture at Brentford, where he was forced to leave the pitch after only 20 minutes due to a hamstring concern.
He will now miss the international break, despite being originally selected by Spain, though Rodri believes a two-week period should be sufficient to restore him to complete fitness.
"I'm doing well," he stated. "I experienced a slight sensation in the hamstring but it appears it's not severe.
"I extended the leg somewhat, similar to what happened in the Euros final. I stretched slightly but it's part of the recovery journey. I don't sense that I'm experiencing muscle fatigue, I feel energized but the key point is that it's not significant.
"It's part of the healing process. The positive aspect is you withdraw, you don't allow the muscle to overextend now. The beneficial thing is the break so it will be even more advantageous in this regard to recuperate during these days and hopefully I can participate in the upcoming match."
A swift comeback for Rodri would see him play at home against Everton on Oct. 18, though Guardiola might choose to give the star midfielder rest before City's away match to Villarreal, Rodri's previous club, in the Champions League three days afterward.