Will Rodri be fit for FA Cup final against Chelsea? Pep Guardiola gives cheeky answer

Manchester City are preparing for yet another FA Cup final, and are hoping to get their anchor in the midfield back in time. It will be a race against time for Rodri, and Pep Guardiola wasn’t about to give reporters any concrete updates the day before the match at Wembley Stadium.

Rodri return still up in air

Rodri walked off the pitch in the final minutes City’s 2-1 win over Arsenal last month, and has not returned since. That was a critical match in the race for the Premier League title, as City took destiny and put it in their own hands with a few weeks remaining in the campaign.

The Spanish midfielder was sidelined for five matches and in that time City dropped points against Everton to concede control of the league back to Arsenal. This weekend they will take a break from the Premier League and turn their attention to the FA Cup final. When Pep Guardiola was asked about the availability of Rodri, the Spanish manager replied coyly with a two word answer. “We’ll see,” said Guardiola.

While we will have to wait to see if Rodri makes it for the final, Guardiola did confirm that everyone else on the squad is good to go. “Everybody’s fine,” assured the Man City manager with another two word answer.

FA Cup the “thorn” in Pep’s side

This is City’s fourth straight appearance in the FA Cup final, but Pep’s men have come up just short in their last two trips to the title match. While the league race is out of their control, they do have a chance to add to their trophy cabinet, and Pep is hoping that things turn around for his side this time around. “Definitely there is excitement,” he said. “Hopefully we can do better than the last two times.”

Of all of the titles up for grabs in England at the start of the season, the FA Cup is what has given Pep the most “trouble.” We put trouble in quotation marks because he has still won two FA Cup titles, but in comparison to the other domestic competitions, he has the fewest titles in this tournament.

Pep has six Premier League titles, five Carabao Cup titles, three Community Shield titles, and has two FA Cup titles. One of those came in 2019, and the other came in 2023. Guardiola is clear that he wants to win this title, not for himself, but for the traveling fans coming down to London. “The message is the FA Cup final at Wembley with two prestigious clubs, with our fans that make an incredible effort to come down to London, which today is not cheap, and try to perform as good as possible to win,” said Guardiola.

Related stories

International soccer

"I'm loving it": The new look changing Landon Donovan’s confidence

Premier League

Will Casemiro play in final Man U match at Old Trafford?

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.