Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola begins life without key midfielder Rodri on Saturday when the Premier League champions head for Newcastle.
Guardiola has admitted the Spain midfielder is facing “a long, long time” on the sidelines as he prepares to undergo surgery on the knee ligament injury he suffered during Sunday’s eventful 2-2 draw with Arsenal.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at how City might cope in his absence and who could be asked to plug the sizeable gap he leaves behind.
How important is Rodri to City?
The 28-year-old, a £62.8million signing from Atletico Madrid during the summer of 2019, sits at the heart of Guardiola’s team, both literally and figuratively.
Sunday was the holding midfielder’s first start of the season following his role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph. He played 50 times for City last season and made a further 14 appearances for his country, and remarkably, he has been involved in just a single defeat in club football – at the hands of Manchester United in last season’s FA Cup final – in 78 appearances since February 5 last year.
Rodri’s personal trophy haul, which comprises four Premier League titles, a Champions League, an FA Cup, two Carabao Cups and World Club Cup and European Super Cup successes, provides graphic illustration of his importance.
Who could replace him?
The absence of Rodri’s unique skill set leaves a chasm in the City engine room, but Guardiola has a wealth of talent upon which to call as he attempts to fill it.
Croatia international Mateo Kovacic, a man with spells at Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Chelsea on his curriculum vitae, was asked to step into the breach on Sunday, and he seems to be the closest in type, although his manager will not need reminding that City lost back-to-back games to Newcastle, Wolves and Arsenal in which he started last season while the Spaniard was suspended.
Central defender John Stones has performed admirably in midfield in the recent past, and contributed a priceless equaliser against the Gunners having been introduced from the bench as an auxiliary frontman late in the game.
Could Guardiola think outside the box?
One of the game’s more innovative coaches, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss is not averse to adapting and has the tools to do just that.
The vastly experienced Ilkay Gundogan, back at the club after a season with Barcelona, has operated as a number six in the past despite largely plying his trade further forward and might be an attractive option.
At the other end of the scale, 19-year-old Rico Lewis’ instincts, adaptability, pace and reliability make him a candidate too. Matheus Nunes is another who could come into the reckoning, although he was recruited for a more attacking purposes, while injuries to Oscar Bobb and central defender Nathan Ake have come at the wrong time for them.
What about a change of system?
Such is the fluidity with which Guardiola’s team plays that formation can often be largely immaterial.
Rodri’s holding role allows the full-backs to push into attacking positions, often more centrally, while the rotation behind in-form striker Erling Haaland presents opposing teams with mesmerising problems.
One solution to the lack of a like-for-like replacement would be to field a midfield two and ask the full-backs to maintain their width, avoiding congestion and creating fresh challenges for the opposition.