What Rodri told Man City teammates about losing run when he was suspended

Rodri joked with his Manchester City teammates that they cannot win without him as he prepares to return to the starting XI this weekend.

After being sent off against Nottingham Forest last month, Rodri sat out the Carabao Cup trip to Newcastle, the Premier League clash with Wolves at Molineux, and the showdown with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. City lost all three games, with the Champions League win over RB Leipzig in the middle coming when Rodri was not suspended and had returned to the side.

Pep Guardiola confirmed that Rodri had returned to Madrid for a week before the international fixtures for a personal break, and he then helped Spain qualify for Euro 2024 in their two fixtures this week. He is likely to come straight back into the side when City resume Premier League action, with nobody else putting up a convincing claim to replace him in his absence - and he has joked that he is fully aware of his importance to the side.

ALSO READ: Kalvin Phillips transfer u-turn could make or break his Man City career

ALSO READ: Rodri drops hint over Man City future when asked about Saudi Arabia transfer

Speaking to Cadena Ser, Rodri said that he often tells his City teammates that they cannot win without him. Offering an update on his fitness, he said: "I am rested after the sanction I have had but happy because we have sealed our pass for the Euro against the two most difficult rivals in the group.

"At my club we have lost the last two Premier games and we need to win again. I sometimes tell them as a joke when they touch my nose, that without me they lose."

Rodri's Spain came up against Erling Haaland's Norway this week, winning in Oslo, and the midfielder said he provided tips to his international teammates on