Overview

• Rodri picked up a groin injury in July’s Club World Cup loss to Al Hilal and missed City’s final pre-season friendly against Palermo.
• Guardiola confirmed the Ballon d’Or winner will not be fully fit until after the September international break, ruling him out of opening Premier League fixtures including the trip to Wolves.
• Since returning from an eight-month ACL layoff, Rodri has only participated in two full group training sessions and has mostly focused on individual rehabilitation work.
• Phil Foden, Josko Gvardiol, Claudio Echeverri and Mateo Kovacic are also sidelined by various fitness issues, further depleting midfield resources.
• With defensive-midfield options limited, City must rotate carefully through early fixtures to protect players and manage a packed schedule.