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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about Rodri's fitness ahead of their Premier League game with Liverpool
Pep Guardiola said that Manchester City are 'desperate' to have Rodri back, but will not take any more risks with his fitness.
The midfielder has been sidelined for a month with a hamstring injury picked up against Brentford. He played a few minutes in the home win over Bournemouth, but was then out again for the midweek match with Dortmund.
City are unlikely to bring him back in for Sunday's game with Liverpool amid ongoing uncertainties on his fitness 14 months after he suffered an ACL injury that ruined last season for the Ballon d'Or winner. After a number of minor setbacks this term, City and Rodri are being more cautious about the approach.
"We'll see tomorrow but I think we won't take the risk with the international break," said Guardiola. "We have to wait for the time when he feels strong and fit and can sustain actions in the game that are so demanding.
"We have to make that step. We are still in November, the best part of the season is ahead of us and we need him.
"We are still playing without a massively important player for us - the Ballon d'Or winner from two seasons ago - and we are desperate to have him back, knowing that Nico right now is becoming a really important and good player."
City's match with Liverpool will be Guardiola's 1,000th in management in a career that started with Barcelona B before taking in Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and the Blues. The coach is happy that such a milestone occasion also includes the club that has more than most helped to push him onto better things.
"I think we pushed Liverpool to be better and they pushed us to be better," he said. "If I had to choose one rival for this milestone, that would be the best.
"Because I've been longer in this country than ever, I was at Barcelona as a boy and Bayern were important but Liverpool have been the biggest rival in this country. It could not be better, to be honest. The universe has decided this.
"I know how quickly everything goes here. One week ago, Liverpool defeats and in disaster. Now they are coming back to their best. I'm pretty sure managers take their perspective. I have a higher opinion of Liverpool now right now than when we were losing six or seven."
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