New Manchester City signing Tijjani Reijnders is determined to prove his worth and impress Pep Guardiola, as he is willing to play anywhere in the midfield. Guardiola could make use of the Dutch international's versatility in the absence of Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, who suffered a fresh injury during the Club World Cup after recovering from his ACL setback.
Pep Guardiola has confirmed Rodri will be available for Manchester City’s vital clash against Tottenham on Saturday, hailing the Ballon d'Or holder as 'still the best player in the world'. The Spaniard missed the Premier League opener at Wolves but is now set for his first minutes of the new campaign after a careful recovery from his ACL tear last season.
Pep Guardiola was not impressed by suggestions that his Manchester City side were pegged back late on at Monaco in the Champions League due to the replacement of Rodri with Nico Gonzalez in midfield. The City boss defended the contribution Gonzalez made off the bench after coming on in the 61st minute, while he conceded that Ballon d'Or winner Rodri is not yet fit enough to play 90 minutes multiple times a week and "needs protecting" from recurring injury issues.
Pep Guardiola has delivered an injury update on Rodri after seeing the Spaniard forced out of Manchester City’s Premier League clash with Brentford. The Ballon d’Or winner has been handled with care this season, but he limped away from the clash in west London and is facing another spell on the sidelines - although the man himself remains upbeat.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri is reportedly on Real Madrid’s radar once more, with the Spanish giants prepared to part with €150 million (£130m/$175m) in order to bring the midfielder onto their books. The Ballon d'Or winner is, however, considered to be a priceless commodity at the Etihad Stadium and the Premier League heavyweights have no intention of parting with a prized asset.
Stuttgart midfielder Chema Andres has drawn comparisons to Rodri following his impressive start in Germany, with rumours now stating that Real Madrid are considering re-signing him next summer. While the former Real Madrid youngster is "privileged" to be compared to the Manchester City midfielder, he is not particularly a big fan of the comparisons.
Manchester City are set to remain without Rodri for at least two more games, with Pep Guardiola delivering another injury update on the Spain international midfielder. Having missed most of last season with knee ligament damage, Rodri has struggled to recover full match fitness in 2025-26. He currently finds himself back on the treatment table with a muscle complaint.
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