Without giving a particular time body on Rodri’s recovery, champion Metropolis confirmed that the 28-one year-outdated midfield anchor sustained ligament damage in his upright knee all the design via closing Sunday’s tumultuous 2-2 design at residence to Arsenal.
Reuters
26 September, 2024, 06:20 pm
Final modified: 26 September, 2024, 06:23 pm
Premier League leaders Manchester Metropolis might perhaps have a Rodri-formed gap of their midfield at Newcastle United on Saturday with their title competitors hoping to scrutinize early proof that the Spaniard’s absence will depart the champions susceptible.
Without giving a particular time body on Rodri’s recovery, champion Metropolis confirmed that the 28-one year-outdated midfield anchor sustained ligament damage in his upright knee all the design via closing Sunday’s tumultuous 2-2 design at residence to Arsenal.
If, as appears decided, Rodri faces several months on the sidelines, Metropolis supervisor Pep Guardiola will want to search out one design to an subject that has so some distance proved beyond even him.
Statistically Guardiola’s Metropolis are a much more fearless unit with Rodri in the facet.
All three of Metropolis’s Premier League defeats closing season came with Rodri missing and tellingly since he joined from Atletico Madrid in 2019, Metropolis have misplaced seven of the 21 Premier League games whereby he didn’t feature — a loss rate of 33%.
With Rodri, who has performed 174 Premier League games for the membership and won four successive titles, the loss rate is 10.9%.
Guardiola describes Rodri as irreplaceable however says he has “a responsibility” to provide an answer.
“Final season, we had been three months without Erling (Haaland), five months without Kevin (de Bruyne) and we came across alternate suggestions,” Guardiola acknowledged after Metropolis’s 2-1 League Cup victory towards Watford on Tuesday.
Sixth-placed Newcastle will present a stiff difficulty to Metropolis who have 13 capabilities from their opening five games and their outdated striker Alan Shearer believes the loss of Rodri might perhaps perhaps well also undermine Metropolis’s reveal for a fifth successive title.
“There’ll not be any longer any individual better in world soccer than Rodri at what he does, so that you can have him out for that duration of time is a ample blow to Man Metropolis,” Shearer urged Betfair.
“There might perhaps be no question that a in all probability season ending damage to Rodri might perhaps have an affect on Man Metropolis’s title hopes.”
Any Metropolis dash-up at Newcastle might perhaps perhaps well also allow either Liverpool, Aston Villa, Arsenal and even Chelsea to handle shut prime attach.
2nd-placed Liverpool, who along with Villa have 12 capabilities, breeze to backside membership Wolverhampton Wanderers in Saturday’s evening kickoff whereas Villa bound to 17th-placed Ipswich Town on Sunday.
Fourth-placed Arsenal, who have 11 capabilities after their fight with Metropolis closing weekend, host Leicester Metropolis, one in every of six clubs on the backside silent to file a victory this season.
Arsenal will again be without injured captain Martin Odegaard whereas Leandro Trossard is unavailable after being despatched off at The Etihad Stadium closing weekend.
Chelsea, who have 10 capabilities, will idea to continue their encouraging flee of manufacture as they welcome seventh-placed Brighton and Hove Albion.
Manchester United are at residence to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
