Man City decided to give Rodri more time to rest after EURO 2024. That means coach Pep Guardiola will have 5 matches to come up with an effective plan B without the services of the club’s number 1 pillar.
Rodri’s importance to Man City is as clear as day. Last season, the Green Man lost 4 matches in the Premier League and those were all 4 matches in which the Spanish player was absent. Man City simply cannot do without Rodri. As long as this midfielder is out, the “machine” immediately has problems.
Guardiola clearly understands how profound an impact Rodri has on Man City. However, the 28-year-old midfielder will now embark on a much-needed vacation to recharge his almost depleted energy ahead of the new season. In many interviews, Rodri emphasized that his workload is too large, and in fact it is exactly that.
In the 2023/24 season, Rodri had to play a total of 58 out of a possible 70 in 11 months, including EURO 2024. In the 2024/25 season, Rodri may have to play up to 80 matches in all competitions – con Just looking at it makes me feel dizzy. And that’s why Man City will give Rodri 3 weeks of rest, maybe even more.
This means Rodri will miss the pre-season as well as the first stages of the 2024/25 season. In theory, Rodri can completely return to play in the English Super Cup match or the 2024/25 Premier League opening match with Chelsea in mid-August. However, the Green Man understands that if he pushes Rodri too early, the consequences will be negative. The negative impact later is very difficult to measure.
During Rodri’s absence, Guardiola will have to find a solution. The leading candidate to replace Rodri – assuming Man City does not recruit any new central midfielder – will be Mateo Kovacic. The former Chelsea star will join the Green Man on the 2024 Summer tour because he left EURO early and has rested for 3 weeks since his last appearance.
Kovacic is not as good as Rodri, but he is a viable option. If Kovacic is plan B then plan C probably involves Rico Lewis. This defender wants to play high up the pitch, and in fact Pep has tested him as a defensive midfielder with mixed results, sometimes good and sometimes bad. This summer, Pep will have time to test Lewis and Kovacic again while waiting for Rodri to be “full battery”.
In addition, midfielder John Stones or Manuel Akanji could be pulled by Guardiola to play in midfield to support Kovacic when Rodri is out. Jacob Wright and Mahamadou Susoho – two pure defensive midfielders from the youth academy – are also notable names that need to be considered. They will have time in America to score points in Pep’s eyes, and maybe a star from the academy will be introduced by the Spanish strategist.
Rodri not playing is a loss for Man City, but the defending champion needs to learn to get used to it.
