'Oh my goodness' - Arsenal and Chelsea dealt mammoth title race boost in Man City £63m blow
Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool have been dealt a significant boost in any hopes of pipping Manchester City to the Premier League title this season with news breaking from the Etihad Stadium that midfield linchpin Rodri will not play again this season.
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Hide AdThe Ballon d'Or nominee is the heartbeat of Pep Guardiola's midfield and is widely regarded as one of the best players to have ever played in his position. The 28-year-old picked up a serious knee injury against Arsenal and is set for an extended period on the sidelines.
It has been widely reported on Monday that Rodri has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his right knee. That injury was sustained in the opening minutes of the fixture against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Rodri was being marked by Thomas Partey during a corner and fell to the pitch after appearing to turn his knee on the turf. The Spain international received treatment on the pitch but needed to hobble off after just 20 minutes.
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Hide AdThe midfielder was in tears as he was replaced by Mateo Kovacic. It is expected that Rodri will not play again this season in what is the first serious injury of his career.
Rodri, who signed for City for £63 million from Atletico Madrid in 2019, made an impressive 50 appearances in all competitions last season. He was named the Champions League Player of the Season in 2023 and has several other accolades to his name, including Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024.
Speaking in August, former Tottenham Hotspur man Darren Bent reflected on the importance of Rodri to Manchester City. He told talkSPORT: “For me, the one player they can’t afford to lose is Rodri. If they lose him, then there’s a problem. That guy, he just doesn’t lose games. Full stop. Do you know what I mean? So, if they lose him, you go, oh my goodness.”
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