Rodri is set for minor back surgery, and Manchester City are already dealing with the possibility that their most important midfielder may miss the start of the Premier League season. He is now a doubt for the opener against Bournemouth on Sunday August 23. For a player who has already spent so much time on the treatment table, it is a fresh problem at exactly the wrong moment.

City’s dependence on Rodri

The injury context is hard to ignore. Rodri featured in just 3 Premier League matches in 2024/25 after an anterior cruciate ligament injury in September 2024, and he managed 21 top-flight outings overall last season. That is not the workload City want from the player who sits at the centre of their control in midfield.

His importance has not faded in spite of that stop-start year. Rodri captained Spain to the World Cup final win over Argentina and won the Golden Ball as player of the tournament. When he is fit, he still looks like the same level of footballer. The issue is getting him there often enough.

The wider uncertainty around his future

Rodri’s own reaction to the setback was blunt. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “We're a bit shocked right now, even myself. I cannot express with words. I think now we're like in a cloud but, for me, it's been a very tough time.” He added: “I just want the new generations to see my example as an opportunity. When you go down, you can rise again. This is my philosophy for my entire life.”

The back surgery also lands while his future remains unsettled. He has one year left on his Manchester City contract, and Real Madrid have been linked in contradictory reporting that has not gone away. City still want him to sign a new deal, but the immediate concern is more basic than that. They need to know whether he will be available when the season starts.

City open against Bournemouth, then face Crystal Palace, Coventry, Man Utd and Sunderland before the September international break. That run gives them little time to absorb another absence if Rodri is not ready for August 23.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →