It’s the news every Manchester City fan has been dreading.
While the Premier League champions are yet to confirm how long midfielder Rodri will be out following his knee injury in Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal – reports suggest this could be an extended absence.
Some even fear that he will not return this season.
Rodri, 28, is one of the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or next month – awarded to the world’s best player – and is regarded by many as City’s most influential player.
The reigning English champions have not lost in the last 48 Premier League games in which the Spaniard has started.
But City lost four of the five games they missed last season, with Rodri only tasting defeat once in all competitions – not counting penalty shootouts such as the Champions League tie against Real Madrid – FA Cup Final 2-1 upset by Manchester United.
How much could his injury cost their domestic and European hopes?
Will the defeat of the sidelined Spaniard help decide the title?
After Rodri made his Manchester City debut in the 2019 Community Shield against Liverpool, team-mate Kevin de Bruyne described him as the “ideal fit” for the team.
He was not wrong.
Since his arrival from Atletico Madrid, the Spanish midfielder’s influence has been extraordinary, with City losing just 11% of their games with him in the team compared to 24% without him.
City’s points per game average with Rodri in the team – in all competitions – is 2.36. Without him, it is just 2.04.
Therefore, if Rodri were to miss the remainder of the Premier League season, using these averages, City would finish with 80 points, compared to a predicted 91 points with him playing every week.
In three of the last four seasons, 91 points would have been enough to win the title.
However, the last time a team won the league with just 80 points was Manchester United in 2010-11. City, with Roberto Mancini at the helm, finished third that year.
What makes the midfielder so important to City?
What makes it so effective?
In simple terms, he wins the ball back from the opponent and then passes it to another player on his team – and he does it with metronomic precision.
Since his debut in a 5-0 win at West Ham, only Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has won the ball more often. No one has won the ball more often than Rodri in the middle third of the pitch, and only seven players have made more tackles in that period.
His reading of the game and combative nature helped bolster City’s defence, with the club keeping 73 clean sheets in his 260 appearances.
But what really sets him apart is the way he uses the ball.
Since joining the Premier League, Rodri has completed almost 2,000 more passes than any other player – the City midfielder has made 13,699 in total, followed by Brighton defender Lewis Dunk on 11,952.
He has also completed more passes into the opposition’s half and final third, while his 91.9% passing accuracy proves he rarely loses possession – even if he often moves it deep into opposition territory.
Kovacic, Gundogan or Lewis: who could replace him?
Simon Stone, BBC Sport’s football editor:
Pep Guardiola has never hidden his belief that Rodri is irreplaceable as the only midfielder in his Manchester City side.
Kalvin Phillips is the closest thing to a starting midfielder in City’s squad, but Guardiola has long since decided the former Leeds man is not good enough and he is currently on loan at Ipswich and will not be eligible for a recall until January.
This means Guardiola is likely to change his formation and play with two defensive midfielders.
Former Chelsea star Mateo Kovacic could fill that role, but he is not the only option.
Centre-back John Stones has rarely played as a lone defensive midfielder during his time at the Etihad, but has occasionally been switched into the deep-lying midfield role from central defence and right-back.
Ilkay Gundogan was used in this position on numerous occasions before his departure to Barcelona in 2023. Bernardo Silva has also played there, as has Kevin de Bruyne who has currently been sidelined at times.
And then there is Rico Lewis, 19, who Guardiola said last week could play in a number of positions, such is his flexibility.
Losing Rodri for a long period would be a huge blow for City, but if anyone can come up with a plan to deal with it, it’s Guardiola.
The January transfer window is just a few months away too.
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton told Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club: “I don’t think anyone can fill that role like Rodri, but Kovacic is an equally capable replacement. We’ve seen in the past that they’ll find a way through, they always do.”
