Overview
- Rodri was left out of Manchester City's 4-1 win over Borussia Dortmund because he did not feel fully right and the staff chose not to take a risk.
- Pep Guardiola described the situation as a minor setback and stressed that Rodri is not facing a long layoff or a new serious injury.
- The midfielder only just returned with a late cameo against Bournemouth after a hamstring problem at Brentford, following earlier knee issues post-ACL recovery.
- Manchester City performed strongly without him as Phil Foden scored twice, Erling Haaland added one, and Rayan Cherki struck late, with Nico Gonzalez starting in midfield.
- Pep Guardiola confirmed Mateo Kovacic will be out for a while due to an ankle issue with calcification, with hopes of involvement late in the season.