Man City are forced to accept absent Rodri really is irreplaceable as Pep Guardiola admits No 6 position is a problem with Euros winner out of opener at Stamford Bridge

Upstairs at the City Football Academy office, overlooking a team car park that has a few extra spots available this year, Txiki Begiristain is putting together a dossier of three players for each position.

It’s not a physical list scribbled on a notepad. Begiristain keeps Manchester City’s potential transfer activity in his head for as long as possible, and then come the PowerPoint presentations alongside Carlos Raphael Moersen, who has taken on the role of lieutenant to the sporting director following Omar Berrada’s move to rivals United.

Begiristain tries to keep every transfer so secret that when Rodri arrived at City five years ago, he was known as ‘The No 6’ for months.

Sifting through the dozens of candidates who could serve as his back-up has been no easy task for City. Finding someone good enough to replace Rodri, but also willing to stand in for the world’s best players in that area of ​​the pitch, seems almost impossible. They thought Kalvin Phillips was the perfect fit, but the 28-year-old spent Friday completing a loan spell at newly promoted Ipswich.

That’s why there have been whispers around City all summer that they are unlikely to sign a conventional midfielder before the transfer window closes, despite the cheers from the fans.

They couldn’t find a replacement at number 6 – with Kalvin Phillips joining Ipswich on loan

City appear confident that they are unlikely to sign a holding midfielder before the end of the transfer window

Sunday’s trip to Chelsea will provide further clues as to whether that is the right decision, after Pep Guardiola revealed that Rodri – the linchpin of the City team and a contender for the Ballon d’Or – will not be in the squad.

The 28-year-old suffered a thigh injury during Spain’s Euro 2016 final win over England after a collision with former City defender Aymeric Laporte. Although Guardiola said Rodri was feeling fine, they have given him extra rest over the summer.

Rodri only returned to the club on Wednesday, where he completed pre-season testing.

“He hasn’t trained and I haven’t seen him,” Guardiola said. “I think he feels good. But we have to start training and then we’ll see how he moves his body and how he feels.”

Guardiola insisted there was “no chance” of Rodri travelling to Stamford Bridge after Mateo Kovacic and teenager Nico O’Reilly played in midfield against United in the Community Shield.

Rico Lewis spent the days leading up to the opening act running through drills in that area of ​​the pitch and is seen as someone who can perform there. The main argument in favour of the 19-year-old is that he makes City play faster.

Lewis and Kovacic did not have a good match in last season’s 1-0 defeat at Arsenal — one of four games Rodri missed in the Premier League. They lost two of the other three, beating Luton.

Rodri hasn’t been on the losing side of a league since February 2023. It’s fair to say he’s the most important player for any team in the division, having missed just 18 games in five seasons. City score more, concede less and collect more points when he’s involved.

Chelsea would rather leave Rodri in Manchester than take the Avanti train to London today. Cole Palmer would rather drive a Rodri-less city centre; the fact that he is not there to patrol is what piques Chelsea’s interest.

Rodri was injured in the final of Euro 2024, where he once again proved his qualities for Spain

Rico Lewis (right) is a midfield option for City, with Mateo Kovacic and Nico O’Reilly playing centrally in the Community Shield

“We prioritize rest,” Guardiola said. “I would like to give the players more time off, but I demand the best against Chelsea — we know we have to get points as quickly as possible. Everyone knows we are not in the best shape, but that doesn’t matter.

‘From my experience, the season is so long and the most important thing is that the players are ready — especially mentally — and for that you need rest. I could have called them back earlier and maybe they would have arrived in better shape for the Community Shield, but I’ve learned that doesn’t matter.’

The England contingent — John Stones, Phil Foden and Kyle Walker — all returned to City on Monday and are in contention to play on Sunday. Foden and Walker are seen as two players who can press play and go straight away, and Walker would free up Lewis to play in midfield.

Kovacic, meanwhile, is aware that he needs to add the No.6 string to his bow. Most of the Croatian’s better performances in an encouraging debut campaign came alongside Rodri — with the ability to drive forward, safe in the knowledge of who was behind — but he believes he needs to do more in the Spaniard’s absence. His lack of awareness in that role was exposed in September’s 2-1 defeat at Wolves and he has not played there alone since.

“The positioning — staying, marking, not getting into the ball — is something I need to improve,” Kovacic said. “What is asked of the No. 6 is to hold the position, stay there and not get too involved in going everywhere, which is sometimes difficult for a guy who is used to going. The manager explains it and we watch it on video, so we know what to do.

Mateo Kovacic (pictured) is aware he needs to add a number 6 to his midfield

“I like it when I have support, because I haven’t played alone that much. It’s harder because you have to cover the space better, because you’re alone, you’re not in a two.”

What seems certain is that Rodri will remain the only specialist No.6 available to Guardiola unless Begiristain comes up with a new name – as he did two years ago with a bargain signing, as did Manuel Akanji.