Kevin De Bruyne has already told Man City their transfer priority amid uncomfortable Rodri truth

Rodri's personal unbeaten run last season saw Nike put him at the forefront of a campaign which read 'Win so much you forget how to lose.'

Without him, Manchester City have lost so much they have forgotten how to win.

Whatever Pep Guardiola or City players say, the last 11 games have made it abundantly clear how integral the Ballon d'Or winner is to the Blues after he was ruled out for the season. His return can't come soon enough, but they must prepare for an uncomfortable truth when he is back in the squad.

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Rodri has said he hopes to be back before the end of the season - which extends to July with the Club World Cup - and one report suggests his rehabilitation is progressing ahead of schedule. This week he dialled into the FIFA Best awards ceremony from the CFA and he was in the tunnel during the Manchester United game to offer advice to his teammates.

That suggests he is playing a role behind the scenes at present and being in Manchester can only help the collective mission to turn form around. But the worse that form is, the bigger the expectation will be on the Spaniard when he does come back into the team.

Kevin De Bruyne is a good example - he missed five or six months last season and returned with a mission to prove, but admits he perhaps overdid it last season and has suffered in 2024/25.

"Last year was up and down, normal after being out after six months," he said in August. "I always had the idea of if the Euros went well physically and I had a rest after I'll come back refreshed. I feel good."

But then one