Rodri hits Man City milestone in Newcastle win that speaks volumes about Pep Guardiola squad

Just before the hour mark on Saturday, Rodri ticked through his 3,000th minute of football for Manchester City this season.

It's a hell of a lot, and comfortably more than any of his teammates. Ederson has about 100 fewer minutes and Erling Haaland - the next most-used outfield player - has about 400 fewer.

Put simply, Rodri has been far and away the most important player for Pep Guardiola this season. The manager has turned to him more than anyone else in his squad, trusting him to play the holding role.

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Much of this is down to the Spaniard's skills and his ability to avoid injury; the 6-3 win over Manchester United is the only game he has been unavailable for this season. If your player can get through the matches, it makes sense to play him.

The flip side, though, is that Rodri has played so many minutes because his competition for a place in the team has featured so rarely. Scott Carson is the only member of the City squad to have been seen less than Kalvin Phillips this season.

There are mitigating factors in that the former Leeds man has had to adjust to life at a new club and missed several months with a shoulder injury, yet Guardiola's reluctance to throw Phillips into games - he has just one competitive start to his name - has resulted in Rodri being used more than ever.

Last season, Rodri was the fourth most-used player, with Joao Cancelo, Ederson, and Bernardo Silva the only three to play more. He clocked up 3892 minutes across all competitions.

That number will be surpassed this year if Rodri plays the equivalent of 10 of City's remaining matches. Given they have a minimum of 14 left, or 21 if they reach the FA