In an exciting title race encounter between Man City and Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, the Cityzens managed to save a point thanks to John Stones last-minute equaliser. However, they lost much more than that. They lost their rock, their engine, and their best player, Rodri.
Pep Guardiola recently announced that the injury will separate the Spaniard from the field for the entire season. He actually had meniscus damage prior to the Arsenal game. Unfortunately for him, Rodri’s injury caused him to have to go through ACL surgery which definitely put an end to his season.
So what does all of this mean for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City?
Man City’s Stats With and Without Rodri
With Rodri injured, we can safely say that City have lost their most important player. Sure, Erling Halaand may be getting all the accolades for the goals he scores. But Rodri is the brain of the team who keeps everything together. He is willing to do the dirty work and keeps the team balanced both in the defence and the attack.
Last season, Manchester City lost only three games. You guessed it, Rodri was absent in all three of them. He has amassed 52 consecutive fixtures without a loss before his early exit versus Arsenal.
Rodri played 50 games last season, totalling 4,325 minutes. He was the most consistent player in Pep’s squad and barely missed any matches.
Man City has won 74.1% of their games with Rodri on the field. Contrary, they won only 61.9% of their EPL games without him.
Who is the Best Replacement for Rodri?
With Rodri injury news being made public, there have been immediate talks about his potential replacement. There is no chance that somebody will be able to mirror his output. But Guardiola will be happy if one of his midfielders is able to produce at least half as much as Rodri did.
Mateo Kovacic is the most natural replacement, and for a large part of the season, he has been doing a great job doing so. Alongside him is Rico Lewis, who is not a natural midfielder but somebody who was able to do the job fairly well while Rodri was away.
Matheus Nunes has been largely disappointing after his arrival in City. Pep is not playing him as much as you would think and does not trust him in important matchups. Ilkay Gundogan is back. While he is not as defensively orientated as Rodri is, he is able to command the midfield really well and could be the best replacement in the middle of the field that Guardiola may have hoped for.
How Long Is Rodrigo Injured For?
The latest Rodri injury update says that he will be out for the rest of the season. After going through ACL surgery, the result is that he will be out for the entire season. There is no current news about an exact date when he will be back, but it will largely depend on the rehabilitation period and how he reacts to the treatment. Knowing Rodri, he will make it happen and be back much earlier than people think.
