Rodri Out After Back Surgery as Manchester City Prepare for Season Start
Manchester City will begin the new campaign without one of their most influential figures, with Rodri ruled out for what the club describe as a “short period of rehabilitation” following back surgery.
New manager Enzo Maresca confirmed on Friday that the midfielder would go under the knife on Monday, stressing that the player needs a complete reset after a gruelling spell for club and country.
“He needs a holiday, he needs to rest and recover and then he will be back with us,” Maresca said, outlining a simple but crucial plan for a footballer who has carried an enormous physical and mental load in recent years.
City have not set a return date. No countdown, no circled fixture on the calendar. Just recovery.
The club revealed that Rodri had been “feeling discomfort for some time but has now undergone a procedure to address the issue”, a line that hints at a problem he has been managing quietly in the background while still operating at an elite level.
That workload peaked this month. Rodri guided Spain to World Cup glory and left the tournament not only with the trophy but with the player of the tournament award, underlining his status as one of the defining midfielders of his generation.
His situation at City, though, is more complicated.
Rodri has just one year left on his contract and has been heavily linked with Real Madrid, a move that would send shockwaves through the Premier League and reshape the European midfield landscape. For now, those links remain just that – links – but every week he spends away from the pitch will only sharpen the focus on his future.
Injury has already taken a heavy toll. The past two seasons have been repeatedly disrupted, most notably by the torn anterior cruciate ligament that ruled him out of the majority of City’s 2024-25 campaign. When he plays, City look balanced, ruthless and controlled. When he doesn’t, they look different. Everyone at the club knows it.
Upcoming Fixtures
All of this unfolds against a demanding early schedule. City meet Arsenal in the Community Shield on 16 August, a fixture that usually sets the tone for the months ahead, before opening their Premier League campaign against Bournemouth on 23 August. Maresca’s first competitive steps as City manager may have to be taken without his midfield anchor.
While Rodri heads for rehab and reflection, another key piece of City’s long-term puzzle has been locked in.
As reported by BBC Sport in June, Josko Gvardiol has signed a new five-year contract, tying the Croatia international to the club until the summer of 2031. It is a statement deal, not just an administrative one.
Still only 24, Gvardiol has already made 122 appearances for City since arriving from RB Leipzig in August 2023. In that time he has collected six trophies, including the Premier League title in his debut season, and grown into one of the most versatile defenders in the squad.
Where Rodri’s future prompts questions, Gvardiol’s extension provides clarity. City are building a new cycle under Maresca, and the Croatian sits right at the heart of it.
The contrast is striking: one cornerstone recovering from surgery and surrounded by speculation, another signing on for the long haul. How City navigate that tension over the coming months may define not just this season, but the shape of the next era at the Etihad.
