MAN CITY DEFENDER RULED OUT, GUARDIOLA RAISES ALARM AHEAD EVERTON GAME
Pep Guardiola confirms Manchester City will be without the injured Rodri for their Premier League clash against Everton. The Ballon d'Or winner is not ready to return from his hamstring issue.
On October 18, Manchester City will play Everton at Etihad Stadium to make their Premier League comeback.
With 13 points from seven league games, Pep Guardiola's team is now situated fifth in the Premier League. They have gone four games without losing.
Now, the Citizens have some terrible news regarding 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri ahead of their encounter on Saturday.
After suffering a cruciate ligament tear in September of last year, Rodri missed 53 club and national team games and was out for more than 200 days. He has struggled to restore consistency, and his recent comeback to the field has had a few small setbacks.
Before the last international break, Rodri was observed limping off the pitch during the first 20 minutes of Man City's encounter against Brentford. Following their 1-0 victory over the Bees on October 5, the Spanish midfielder spoke to Sky Sports about his early substitution.
"I am doing fine. Although it might not seem like much, I felt a little bit in my hamstring. The triumph was what mattered. Like in the Euro final, I slightly stretched the leg. According to GOAL, "I stretched a little bit, but it is part of the process."
"Muscularly, I do not feel exhausted; instead, I feel refreshed. What is more essential is that it is not that huge. It is a step in the procedure. The good news is that you leave without allowing the muscle to stretch. The good news is that I have a break, so it will be even better to recuperate now and perhaps play in the next game."
Rodri missed two World Cup qualifiers for Spain after the blow against Brentford.
The 29-year-old star will not be available for Man City's next match against Everton, Guardiola has already stated.
What was said about Rodri by Man City manager Pep Guardiola?
Guardiola addressed Rodri's pregame predicament during his press conference, telling reporters,
"No updates. For tomorrow, he is not prepared. I am not sure when he will return," according to BBC Sport.
Rodri's availability to play in Man City's third Champions League game of the season against La Liga team Villarreal on October 21 at Estadi de la Ceramica is still up in the air.
THE REAL: REASON JEREMY DOKU BELIEVES THE NEXT FOUR GAMES WILL DEFINE CITY’S SEASON
Jeremy Doku praises City's pride after Bernardo Silva's red card, eyeing redemption in Sunday's Carabao Cup final.
Jérémy Doku sees winning the Carabao Cup as a helpful way for Manchester City to bounce back from their Champions League disappointment. After being knocked out by Real Madrid for the third consecutive year, with a 5-1 aggregate loss in the round of 16, the team faces a tough challenge to regroup quickly.
Pep Guardiola's squad now has to shift focus to their upcoming trip to Wembley, where they’ll take on Arsenal on Sunday. Despite the setback in Europe, Doku feels that lifting a trophy this week would help erase the recent frustration.
He said, “It’s a good way to recover. We’ll do everything we can to win that game and bring home a trophy. The next four matches really matter. We have to recover well for Sunday and then take it one game at a time.”
What lies ahead will likely define the city's season. After the Carabao Cup final, they face an FA Cup quarterfinal against Liverpool following the international break, as well as two critical Premier League games against Chelsea and Arsenal.
“There’s still plenty at stake,” Doku added. “We’re competing in three different competitions, with three trophies still on the table. If we manage to win one, it’ll still be a strong season for us. Of course, missing out on the Champions League is disappointing. It’s always a special trophy. But we have to learn from those games against Real Madrid, recover properly, and focus on what’s next.”
City endured a tough week, following a 3-0 loss in Madrid with a narrow 2-1 defeat at the Etihad. One pivotal moment was Bernardo Silva’s early red card in the second leg.
Yet, Doku draws some confidence from how the team performed despite being down to 10 men against such a formidable opponent.
“We have reasons to be proud,” he reflected. “Playing against a team like Real Madrid with one less player and still causing them problems isn’t something every team can do. We didn’t get the win, but we can look each other in the eye knowing we gave a good performance both with 11 players and with 10. We created chances and played well.”
He went on to say, “If we bring that kind of effort to every match, we’ll trouble many teams. There are valuable takeaways from this game that we can carry into the next.”
WHY PEP GUARDIOLA CANCELLED TRAINING BEFORE MANCHESTER CITY’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REMATCH
Pep Guardiola cancels Manchester City training to combat fatigue ahead of the 3-0 comeback attempt vs Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola has shared his reasoning for skipping training the day before Manchester City’s crucial Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid at the Etihad. Facing a tough three-goal deficit from their 3-0 loss at the Bernabeu last week, City are up against the difficult task of overturning this against a team that has won Europe’s top trophy 15 times.
Historically, only four teams have managed to claw back a gap of three or more goals in the knockout stages, so the challenge ahead is immense. Guardiola acknowledges his players will need to deliver an almost flawless performance if they hope to stage a remarkable comeback on home turf. Still, he remains hopeful they will create plenty of scoring chances against Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.
In a somewhat unexpected move, Guardiola has decided to give his first team a day off on Monday, opting for a light session just hours before kickoff on Tuesday. At Monday’s press conference, he explained the logic behind this approach, citing the fatigue from travel and recent matches. After returning late from Madrid, then heading to London for a Premier League draw against West Ham, the players have had a packed schedule. Guardiola feels a day of rest will serve them better than trying to squeeze in more training.
He further emphasised the mental aspect, pointing out that mental strength plays a big role in how well they perform. He plans to assess the players’ condition and conduct training on Tuesday afternoon. With travel taking its toll and players spontaneously connecting with their families, he believes keeping them relaxed and fresh is crucial.
Captain Bernardo Silva, who was the only City player present for media duties, supported Guardiola’s decision. He reflected on past occasions when the team took rest days following both wins and losses, trusting the manager’s judgement to help them regroup and come back stronger.
On team news, Guardiola revealed he has most of his starting lineup settled, though one spot remains uncertain. Josko Gvardiol (tibial fracture) and Rico Lewis (ankle) are sidelined, but Mateo Kovacic has returned to the bench after recovering from a lengthy ankle and heel injury. With these preparations in place, City will be charging into a daunting but pivotal night against one of Europe’s giants.
