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Rodri will be a key figure for Manchester City against Arsenal and he will need to win the battle against Spain teammate Martin Zubimendi.
When Rodri went off injured at half-time of the Euro 2024 final, it could have been something of a turning point. The Manchester City midfielder didn't emerge for the second period of that game with England, and the reaction on these shores was that whoever was replacing him was never going to fill that void.
But Spain has a habit of producing these kinds of players, and Martin Zubimendi used those 45 minutes in Berlin to announce himself to the world stage. A few weeks later, Liverpool tried to sign him. Real Madrid and Barcelona were linked and, eventually, he joined Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta had to wait a year to get his man, but the fact Arsenal's sights never veered from the 26-year-old tells you all you need to know about how importantly they view him. When it comes to holding midfielders, Spain don't just have the best in the world; they have the second best as well, a point made by their coach, Luis de la Fuente, not long after his side won Euro 2024.
"We’re lucky enough to have brought on, in my opinion, the second-best player in the world in that position and that’s Martin Zubimendi," he said.
"He’s another great footballer, with some of those same qualities that I like in Rodri – he’s like his clone. Of course, Martin has little nuances that make him him, but he can also balance out the game, find spaces, find solutions, and get back to defend the box.
"I’m very lucky to have the two best players in the world in that position at my disposal."
The question now is in which order are they numbers one and two? In that final 15 months ago it was clear Rodri stood at the top of the podium, something repeated quite literally when he won the Ballon d'Or last year.
By then, he had already suffered the anterior cruciate ligament injury that would write most of last season off. He is back now, but this isn't the real Rodri. He is still finding his feet and his trust in his body. It's not out of the question that he doesn't even start for City at Arsenal on Sunday.
But if he does, this is a chance for the 29-year-old to re-establish supremacy. In his time out of action, Zubimendi has taken a grip on that role in the national team, which is something Rodri touched on earlier this month.
“He’s a great player. He has the discipline and mentality that can lead him to become one of the best, if he isn’t already,” Rodri said. “I spoke to him the other day and told him it was his time, that I was leaving him the keys to the team.”
In World Cup qualifiers in Bulgaria and Turkey, Zubimendi started, and Rodri replaced him after 62 minutes in Sofia and 73 minutes in Konya. Rodri had played 90 minutes for City at Brighton before that international break and then started again for the Blues against Manchester United last weekend.
It's far too early to write the City man off, however. It might feel like Spain is becoming Zubimendi's team for now, but Rodri has time to change the narrative and win his place back for the World Cup next summer.
Pep Guardiola has said City will continue to be patient with Rodri. On Wednesday, he felt uncomfortable in training and he asked to come off after an hour of the Champions League win against Napoli on Thursday.
A late call will be made on his availability at Arsenal, but even a not-fully-fit Rodri would feel like a better option than Nico Gonzalez. That's not to talk down City's £50million midfielder, but rather to point out just how big a difference Rodri makes.
If he does start, then his duel with Zubimendi could be box office. Every Arsenal game is a physical examination these days and that is one area where Rodri has the upper hand. If he can control the centre of the pitch and lay a platform for a City win, it will feel like a big day in the title race, but it could also feel like a big day for the Spain midfield.
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