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Pep Guardiola’s brave Rodri decision could see him return this season

Manchester City have made it into the knock-out stages of the Champions League and they could still welcome back the injured star.

Pep Guardiola’s brave Rodri decision
ADAM VAUGHANEFE

Manchester City’s struggles this season have many causes. It’s a combination of team fatigue, an aging squad, and perhaps a sense that Pep Guardiola’s uncompromising style may be wearing thin.

But above all else, an injury to a single player seems to have unravelled City’s entire defensive structure. Ballon d’Or winner Rodri suffered a serious knee injury during a 2-2 draw with Arsenal last September and underwent surgery earlier this month.

Guardiola has repeatedly insisted that he expects Rodri to be out for the remainder of the 2024/25 season but a decision made by City appears to suggest that he could still make a shock early recovery.

Rodri has been named in Manchester City’s squad list for the knock-out stages of the Champions League. The Times reports that City will opt to register Rodri in the 25-man squad, alongside new signings Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis.

City have not yet given any significant update on Rodri’s recovery but the player has indicated that things are progressing well. In an interview with AS this month, Rodri confirmed that he is prioritising his recovery and said that he is aiming to “get back to the level I was at.”

He continued: “Right now my obsession is to recover well. I think that when someone has a long-term injury what they want is to give their body the opportunity to get back to its best and, above all, to return to a good level. That’s what my goal is: to be fit and not to have any problems.”

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