Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Rodri is making progress but suffered a setback during the Club World Cup. The Spanish midfielder is expected to return after the international break, missing Manchester City’s first three matches of the season.
Manchester City and Spain are counting on Rodri Hernandez to be at his best for the season ahead, but the midfielder’s return has hit a setback. After recovering from a serious cruciate ligament injury, Rodri is still progressing — though not without complications.
"Rodri is improving, but he suffered a significant injury in the last game against Al Hilal", Pep Guardiola revealed, speaking to the Manchester Evening News. "He has trained better in recent days, and hopefully, he will be truly fit after the international break".
The City boss emphasised the need for patience: "The important thing is that it doesn't hurt him. We don’t want to fall into the pattern of returning and getting injured, returning and getting injured."
Given the situation, Rodri is expected to miss City's first three Premier League matches of the 2025/26 campaign — against Wolves, Tottenham, and Brighton — with hopes of a return for the Manchester derby.