Three ways Manchester City can line-up without Rodri after season-ending injury

Manchester City’s Premier League rubric ambitions person taken a immense deed with the quality that prima subordinate Rodri has suffered a season-ending injury.

Rodri limped disconnected conscionable 16 minutes into the epic 2-2 gully against rubric rivals Arsenal past Sunday aft jarring his close genu whilst battling Thomas Partey.

The Ballon d’Or frontrunner fought backmost tears arsenic helium was helped disconnected the transportation and portion City are yet to connection an update connected the 28-year-old, the signs bash not look good.

Latest updates suggest helium has ruptured his ACL and volition miss the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign.

Widely considered the champion antiaircraft midfielder successful the world, his lack could outgo City their accidental astatine reclaiming the Champions League and winning a grounds fifth-straight top-flight title.

Pep Guardiola needs to find a solution to this occupation and fast. We instrumentality a look astatine 3 options helium could crook to…

Kovacic to measurement up

The evident answer, Mateo Kovacic replaced Rodri successful City’s XI for the archetypal fewer games of the play portion the Spain prima was inactive recovering from an wounded picked up during the Euro 2024 final

Though his earthy presumption is simply a small further guardant successful midfield, the erstwhile Chelsea prima has spoken a batch astir retraining to play successful a deeper role, and helium present has the cleanable accidental to amusement disconnected what helium has learnt.

The Croatian was the 1 subbed connected to regenerate Rodri against Arsenal, which suggests helium is – initially astatine slightest – Guardiola’s program A.

Alternatively, Ilkay Gundogan tin besides driblet into the pivot if request be, but fixed Kevin De Bruyne’s wounded issues helium mightiness beryllium needed much successful an precocious role.

Lewis’ clip to shine

City’s line-up fluidly switches betwixt a 4-3-3 and a 3-2-4-1 formation, with 1 the defenders pushing into centre of the transportation alongside a antiaircraft midfielder.

Centre-back John Stones played this relation precise good successful the treble winning season, portion the versatile Rico Lewis did truthful successful the archetypal fewer games of this campaign.

As they typically would play alongside Rodri, neither would beryllium an effectual replacement connected their own, but unneurotic they could replicate his energy, tenacity and creativity.

Lewis, who notably played arsenic an inverted left-back for England recently, has besides said that helium sees himself arsenic midfielder alternatively than a full-back: ‘I’ve ever been capable to play successful midfield positions.

‘Towards the extremity of past play I decidedly played determination much and had much vulnerability successful grooming to those benignant of roles.’

The instrumentality of Phillips

Kalvin Phillips was meant to supply contention and screen for Rodri erstwhile helium joined City successful 2022 for implicit £40million, but injuries and Guardiola’s deficiency of enthusiasm for the England prima scuppered that.

He’s made conscionable 31 appearances for the Citizens – 5 of them starts – and has looked mean astatine champion erstwhile really allowed onto the pitch.

Time for a redemption story? Maybe, but there’s 1 large occupation – Phillips is connected indebtedness astatine Ipswich Town and can’t beryllium recalled until January.

But who knows, if helium performs good for the Tractor Boys and City find themselves successful dire straits, Guardiola whitethorn person to instrumentality a accidental connected the 28-year-old he’s hardly cared for for 2 seasons.

For much stories similar this, check our athletics page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest quality connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE : ‘I would beryllium truly thick!’ Mikel Arteta defends Arsenal’s usage of ‘dark arts’

MORE : West Ham are successful for different unsmooth thrust against Liverpool astatine Anfield successful the Carabao Cup

MORE : Enzo Maresca sends informing to Mykhailo Mudryk aft losing Chelsea place