'I can't see him doing the ordinary' - Gary Neville believes Pep Guardiola has trick 'up his sleeve' after losing Rodri to long-term injury in huge blow for Man City

The Spanish midfielder sustained a ligament injury against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday which may rule him out for the rest of the campaign. His commanding presence in midfield has been vital for the team, and his absence raises significant questions about how City will cope without him.

However, Neville has voiced confidence in Guardiola's ability to find a solution. Speaking on The Overlap US podcast It's Called Soccer, the former defender said: "I was thinking: 'What will Pep Guardiola have up his sleeve?' You think of a man who put [Javier] Mascherano at centre-half for Barcelona, a man who's put players into different positions that we would never have expected as a manager.

"And I was thinking: 'Who is he going to put in there? How is he going to play to compensate for the loss of this probably talisman type figure?' I think of only [Erling] Haaland probably that you could take out of the City team that would damage them as much as Rodri. I know [Kevin] De Bruyne's there, I'm not ignoring him, but if you were Arsenal and you could take one player out of the City team, because they've lost [Julian] Alvarez you'd take Haaland out probably number one, you'd probably take Rodri out number two."

One possibility Neville has highlighted is John Stones, who has played a hybrid role between centre-back and midfield in recent seasons.

"Does John Stones become Rodri for the next six months? He'll be working on that already Pep Guardiola. He won't just sit back and do nothing. I can't see him just doing the ordinary," Neville said.

Mateo Kovacic is one potential candidate to step into the holding midfield role as the Croatian has ample experience in this position, and his composure on the ball could help City retain possession and dictate the pace of games. Another option is Matheus Nunes, who has the potential to shine in a deeper role, more akin to Rodri's position.

City's midfield strength has been one of the key pillars of their dominance in the Premier League, and Rodri has been central to that success. His absence could have serious repercussions as the Manchester club chase a historic fifth successive Premier League title under Guardiola. All eyes will be on the Spanish manager on Saturday against Newcastle as he is tipped for another tactical innovation to keep City ahead of their rivals, despite losing a key player early in the campaign.