Man City training plan for Rodri after Club World Cup injury setback

Rodri has not been training fully with the Manchester City squad as the club hope to have him fit for the Premier League opener

Rodri at the Club World Cup

Rodri has been training away from the rest of the Manchester City squad as he continues his return from a serious injury last season. The Ballon d'Or winner tore his ACL last September and while he managed an impressive return before the end of the campaign there were complications with the injury.

While the player looked in form with a start in the 5-2 win at Juventus in the Club World Cup, he came on as a substitute in the last-16 defeat to Al Hilal but had to be substituted in extra time after complaining of pain in his groin. Pep Guardiola said the situation was completely normal, albeit it was a reminder that he is not yet as free from injury as everyone would like.

Following that, City and the player have exercised caution since returning to the City Football Academy last week. Rodri has joined the squad for some parts of some sessions, but has also done a lot of individual work as he bids to prove his fitness for the new campaign.

It is hoped that this approach will give the Spaniard the best chance of being fit for the Premier League opener at Wolves in ten days.

As part of his and the team preparations, Rodri could feature in the open training session being held at the club on Tuesday, although it is unclear if he will be involved for all of it.

City are being careful, mindful of how much they missed Rodri last year and how important it is for him to avoid further setbacks as he looks to overcome what has been a serious injury. If that means continuing to manage the intensity of his training or his minutes on the pitch, that is better than too much risk.

“There’s still a long way to be the Rodri he was," Guardiola said in May. "I guess it will be next season we start to be Rodri not in the way like we have seen before the injury where he played 70 games every three days.

“It will take longer for that because the experience with this surgery is to be careful otherwise have muscular problems and this kind of stuff.

“But this is the first step for mind and knee still is not to see Rodri the way we know him.”

---

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.

And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.