Man City’s Rodri To Miss Opening EPL Fixtures Due To “Big Injury”

August 09, (THEWILL) — Manchester City midfielder Rodri will miss the opening fixtures of the 2025/2026 English Premier League season after suffering an injury manager Pep Guardiola described as “big” on Friday morning during his pre-season press conference.

The Spain international, who claimed the Ballon d’Or following his crucial role in his country’s European Championship triumph, sustained the groin problem during City’s Club World Cup campaign in extra time against Al Hilal in the last 16.

Guardiola confirmed the 29-year-old had endured “a big injury” in that match and remains unavailable for selection despite returning to training this week.

The City boss indicated Rodri would likely remain sidelined until after the September international break, ruling him out of crucial early-season encounters including the home fixture against Tottenham Hotspur and the trip to Brighton & Hove Albion.

The timing proves particularly challenging for City, who relied heavily on Rodri’s stability during their Club World Cup run after he missed most of the previous campaign through a serious knee injury.

His four appearances in the tournament offered encouragement following his lengthy rehabilitation, but the latest setback has forced Guardiola to reconsider his midfield options for the season opener at Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 17.

City’s medical staff are taking a cautious approach with Rodri’s recovery, prioritising his long-term fitness over rushing his return.

Guardiola emphasised the importance of ensuring the midfielder experiences no pain before featuring competitively, having witnessed firsthand how injury problems disrupted City’s previous campaign when they finished without a major trophy.

The club will hope Rodri can feature when domestic football resumes in mid-September, with the Manchester derby against United scheduled for September 13 followed by a challenging away trip to Arsenal eight days later.

His availability for those high-profile fixtures could prove decisive in City’s early-season momentum under Guardiola’s continued stewardship.

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Jude Obafemi, THEWILL

Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

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