GTech Community Stadium, London – Manchester City’s midfield suffered another setback on Sunday as Rodri was forced off midway through the first half in their Premier League encounter against Brentford, with what appears to be a hamstring injury.
The 29-year-old, who spent nearly all of the 2024-25 season sidelined after ACL surgery, has been carefully managed since returning to action in May. Pep Guardiola had previously stressed the need to monitor Rodri’s workload following overexertion during the FIFA Club World Cup in June.
“Rodri needs to be very careful. We’ll see how he responds in the coming weeks,” Guardiola said, highlighting the importance of preserving the midfielder’s fitness.
City’s January signing Nico Gonzalez replaced Rodri after 22 minutes, giving Guardiola an immediate alternative in the defensive midfield role. With Mateo Kovacic recently returning to first-team training following Achilles surgery, City do have further options in the middle of the park.
A hamstring injury typically sidelines players for four to six weeks, though Rodri’s recent history of injuries means City will likely err on the side of caution before rushing him back. Despite the early blow, City took a 1-0 lead through Erling Haaland in the first half.
