Manchester City Face a Crucial Test Without Rodri as Injury Doubts Cloud the Everton Trip
Manchester City travel to Everton on Monday night with a significant injury cloud hanging over their title push, as Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is still missing from first-team training. The Spanish midfielder has missed City’s last two games, a Premier League win at Burnley and the FA Cup semi-final victory against Southampton, after picking up a groin problem during the 2-1 win over Arsenal last month.
Speaking at Friday’s press conference, Pep Guardiola gave a cautiously optimistic update. He confirmed that Rodri is getting better but has not returned to training yet. This means a late fitness test is likely before Monday’s kick-off, and he probably won’t start.
Alongside Rodri, Ruben Dias is still out with an ankle injury that has kept him sidelined for six games, while Josko Gvardiol is still recovering from a bone fracture sustained in January.
Despite these gaps in defence and midfield, Guardiola noted that John Stones is fit enough to play a part in the final stretch. Stones officially confirmed he is leaving City this week after ten years and 19 major trophies at the Etihad.
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Do Manchester City actually need Rodri to win the title, or have they proved they can manage without him?
This is where the debate gets interesting. Manchester City won at Burnley and beat Southampton in the FA Cup semi-final without Rodri, so the idea that the team fall apart when he isn’t there doesn’t really stick anymore. Nico González, who scored a long-range winner against Southampton, could keep his place in midfield alongside Bernardo Silva, while Nico O’Reilly is another option for the centre.
This mid-season depth shows City have prepared well for life without their anchor. Rodri’s main weakness is simple; he isn’t very mobile side-to-side and struggles when teams press him quickly, but his reading of the game and his control over the match tempo are hard to replace over time.
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City have six matches in 21 days to finish the season, and they are currently three points behind Arsenal. Rushing Rodri back for the Everton game is a big risk. Manchester City might be better off winning this one without him and keeping their most important player fresh for the games that will actually decide the title.
