Manchester City’s Spanish head-coach Pep Guardiola (L) speaks to teamplayer Spanish midfielder Rodri at the end of the friendly football match between English Premier League club Manchester City and Hong Kong’s Kitchee at the Hong Kong Stadium, in Hong Kong on July 24, 2019. [Anthony WALLACE / AFP]
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said Rodri will need much more time to find his top form after struggling with fitness problems on his return from a serious knee injury.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner missed Saturday’s 5-1 victory over Burnley after starting three times in eight days as City faced Manchester United, Napoli and Arsenal.
Rodri has travelled with the City squad for Wednesday’s Champions League tie at Monaco, but Guardiola does not believe the Spanish midfielder will feature in the Principality.
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The 29-year-old made his return from an anterior cruciate ligament tear suffered last September in May.
However, he missed the start of the season after suffering a setback at the Club World Cup.
“Now he is not injured but in the tendon, he has a difficulty,” said Guardiola at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“The week before was so demanding with United, Napoli and especially Arsenal and right now he’s not able to play three games in a week at a top level – top intensity, demanding opponents.
“My feeling right now is he is not ready (to play against Monaco) because he needs time. This type of injury, it is minimum one year and after that you start.”
“He has been patient, and he will dictate (his availability).”
City midfielder Bernardo Silva returns to face his former club where he won the Ligue 1 title in 2016/17 and reached a Champions League semi-final the same season.
The Portuguese international was appointed City captain this season after the departure of Kevin De Bruyne and said he has to foster the right environment to get the club back on track.
Guardiola’s men failed to win a trophy for the first time in eight years last season.
“Manchester City was so successful in the last eight years not because one captain was really good but because we have a group of great leaders,” said Silva.
“As the first captain you have to make sure some things don’t happen – to create that environment but what we’ve seen is a group of great characters.
“My job now is to try to create that energy, that chemistry as a group of captains – me, Ruben (Dias), Rodri, Erling (Haaland) – so people behave in the right way.”