1 week ago
38
Rodri has travelled with the Manchester City squad to Villarreal despite being unable to play
Rodri is helping Manchester City to feel they can do 'great things' this season - with or without him on the pitch.
The Spaniard has missed out on a match against Villarreal, the club where he made his professional debut, as a result of the injury he picked up at Brentford earlier this month. He sat out the win over Everton at the weekend but was seen coaching the players in the tunnel before the second half and has travelled to Spain with the squad despite being sidelined.
Nico Gonzalez is growing into a midfield role after his £49m January move from Porto, and was as happy to take on Rodri's instructions as he has been to listen to Pep Guardiola's animated chats with him after games.
"He gave me some advice about what he saw because he knows a lot. I try to listen and learn a lot," said Gonzalez.
"He’s one of the captains and that’s a really important role. He tries, especially to the young players, to advise us and make us understand the way we want to play."
Guardiola would like Rodri on the training pitches more often to play alongside Gonzalez so they can work together, but is happy with how the 23-year-old is getting better and better as he learns at the Etihad.
The same can be said for the team: as champions Liverpool falter, it is now eight games unbeaten for the Blues in all competitions and they land in Villarreal sitting second in the Premier League table after their 2-0 win over Everton.
City's coach thinks they are improving, and Gonzalez feels a big difference from when he came to the club and they were in crisis mode simply looking to survive in games.
"Since I arrived, I think we've improved a lot. I think this year you can see in the last month and a half there's a different feeling that everything is going really well," he said.
"I think at the end of last season we did really good, but now I feel we can do great things."
Victory in Villarreal would not only extend the unbeaten streak but also end a rotten run of five away Champions League games without a victory. City wilted last season in Europe and are determined to show that they can be a contender again, having gone all the way two years ago.
Gonzalez could have a big say in how far City go, especially if Rodri continues to suffer injury issues. The Ballon d'Or winner will make sure that he contributes though regardless of how often he is on the pitch, and the Blues will take every bit of help they can in their bid to get back to where they want to be.
---
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.
English (US) ·