Rodri Sidelined After Back Surgery as Manchester City Prepare for Season Start
Manchester City will begin the Enzo Maresca era without one of their pillars. Midfield anchor Rodri has undergone back surgery and faces what the club describe as a “short period of rehabilitation”, leaving a sizeable hole at the heart of the champions’ structure just weeks before competitive action resumes.
Maresca revealed on Friday that the Spaniard would go under the knife on Monday, stressing that the priority now is rest rather than rushing him back.
“He needs a holiday, he needs to rest and recover and then he will be back with us,” the new City manager said, underlining both the physical and mental toll of recent seasons on his midfield general.
No specific return date has been set. That uncertainty hangs over a crucial stretch of City’s calendar. They meet Arsenal in the Community Shield on 16 August, then open their Premier League title defence against Bournemouth on 23 August. For a side that has long relied on Rodri as the metronome and shield, even a brief absence changes the rhythm.
City confirmed that the 28-year-old had “been feeling discomfort for some time but has now undergone a procedure to address the issue”. The club will hope that dealing with the problem decisively now prevents a repeat of the stop-start campaigns that have dogged him.
The past two seasons have already tested his resilience. A torn anterior cruciate ligament wrecked most of City’s 2024-25 campaign for him, stripping Maresca’s predecessor of one of the squad’s most irreplaceable figures. When Rodri plays, City’s structure looks unshakeable. When he doesn’t, the whole shape bends.
His situation is complicated further by the backdrop of uncertainty over his future. Rodri has just one year left on his contract and has been heavily linked with Real Madrid, the speculation only intensifying after he guided Spain to World Cup glory this month. He left the tournament with the trophy and the player of the tournament award, his status on the international stage matching his importance at club level.
For now, though, the transfer noise pauses while his back heals. City must plot their early-season path without him, aware that any prolonged absence could invite rivals to close the gap.
Gvardiol commits long-term
Amid the concern over Rodri, City at least have clarity in defence. As reported by BBC Sport in June, Josko Gvardiol has signed a new five-year contract, tying the Croatia international to the club until the summer of 2031.
The 24-year-old has become a fixture since arriving from RB Leipzig in August 2023. He has already made 122 appearances and collected six trophies, including a Premier League title in his debut season. That kind of continuity at the back offers Maresca a solid foundation while he waits for his midfield lynchpin to return.
One cornerstone recovering, another locked in for the long haul. City’s immediate challenge is to ensure that Rodri’s enforced pause does not become the defining story of their start under Maresca.
