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pep guardiola believe in rodri He could be “a few weeks” away from a return and admits he needs to be back to his best form next season.
still, Manchester City The boss believes the midfielder will make a huge difference to his team just by his presence once he is fit again.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner missed most of last season with a serious knee injury and his efforts to make a comeback this season have been repeatedly frustrated.
He has played just one minute in 11 matches since limping off with a hamstring injury in City’s win at Brentford on 5 October.
The Spain international has been ruled out of Saturday’s clash with Sunderland and will not only miss next week’s clash. Champions League trip to real MadridBut his comeback as many more games has been carefully managed.
Guardiola said: “He has been a little more careful after what happened in the last case, when he backed off. We have to be more cautious to make sure it is safe.”
“It’s not a step back. The recovery process is going well. He already starts to make training sessions on the pitch. So, hopefully, in a few weeks, he can start being with us.
“I want him to come back – in Madrid and in the next one – but then not another six weeks. It doesn’t make sense. I want to be convinced.
“There are moments he’s sad – I wouldn’t be happy if he wasn’t sad or worried – but I said, ‘This is the last step, you’re on the verge of coming back, don’t take one step forward and 1,000 steps back.’
“He has a World Cup and the next season, then the next season and the next season. As much as we will recover him, it will not be for now, it will be for the end of the season and next season. That is the main thing.”
Rodri has been sorely missed over the past 15 months and City’s weaknesses without him were exposed on Tuesday as they suffered a nervous 5-4 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Guardiola said: “Rodri is a player of a different level, a different level. If Rodri came on for the last 20 minutes against Fulham, put right in the middle, do you know the impact?
“Just his presence, even touching the ball, the other 10 players will feel safer, better. They’ll play better even if he doesn’t touch the ball, just for the fact that he’s there.”