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Manchester City midfielder nico Gonzalez stressed that he does not see himself as an equal replacement for Rodri.
Gonzalez is set to continue deputizing for his fellow Spaniard as the Ballon d’Or winner sits out on Tuesday. Champions League The clash at Villarreal.
Rodri recently suffered a hamstring injury before the international break, adding to his frustration after missing most of last season following knee surgery.
Gonzalez was signed from porto in January to provide back-up in the central defensive midfield position and, although he eagerly accepts Rodri’s advice in “every game”, he does not want to be directly compared himself.
“I don’t watch the news,” the 23-year-old told media at a press conference at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica. “I don’t know what you guys are talking about.
“He’s a team-mate. It’s important for the team that he plays us so well but I don’t see any comparisons or pay much attention to those things.”
“I try to listen and learn a lot from him. For example, in the last game, at half-time he gave me some advice about what he saw because he knows a lot about what to do in that situation.
“He’s one of the captains and it’s a really important role. He tries to give us advice and explain to us how we want to play.”
Gonzalez has based his game on sergio busquetsA mentor and former team-mate at Barcelona.
“I watched Busquets when I was young at Barcelona. When I reached the first team, I played with him and learned a lot from him. He is probably the player I learned the most from,” he said.
Rodri has made the move to Villarreal, where he began his professional career with City, even though he is not fit enough to feature.
Manager pep guardiola There’s no doubt he’ll have an impact on Gonzalez, who he believes is continuing to improve his game.
Guardiola said: “Hopefully Rodri will come back to train with him more often, right? But when he’s young, of course, a player of Rodri’s stature always makes them better.
“About Nico, I think he is getting better and better. Sometimes it is not easy to arrive at a new club and play in a different style than before, but we are really happy with his behavior and I am sure he will get better month by month, year by year.”
Rodri established himself at Villarreal after coming through their youth system. He later moved to Atlético Madrid and then joined City in 2019.
Villarreal coach Marcelino said it was “a shame” that he was not playing.
He added, “He is the best player in the world in his position. I’m sure he will love playing here and Villarreal fans will love watching him. He is admired and loved here.”