Manchester City midfielder Rodri will miss the rest of the season after undergoing ACL surgery on Friday. The Spain international also had meniscus damage. "This season is over [for him].
We got the worst [news possible], but it is what it is," City manager Pep Guardiola said. "We are there to support him in a good recovery, step by step and move forward." Rodri injured his right knee on Sunday in the 2-2 draw against Arsenal.
An ACL injury can take from six months to a year to heal. That could be a major blow to City's chances of winning a record-extending fifth English Premier League in a row. "We don't have a similar player, but the other players all together can replace what Rodri has given since he arrived to us," Guardiola said. "We have to do it as a team, and we have to find a way to play a lot of months without an important player for us." Rodri's importance to City was underlined last term when the team lost four of nine games without him.
By comparison, City lost just one of 50 games with him in the team. He also helped Spain win the European Championship this summer and is among the favorites to win the Ballon d'Or for the best player in the world.