- Rodri suffered a knee injury during the thrilling draw between Man City and Arsenal on Sunday
- The Spaniard is currently in Barcelona and is awaiting news on the severity of the condition
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Pep Guardiola has vowed that Manchester City will not use Rodri’s prolonged absence as an excuse in their latest defence of the Premier League title.
Rodri is awaiting a second opinion in Barcelona on the knee injury he sustained in Sunday’s draw with Arsenal, but City fear he could miss the rest of the season.
Guardiola admitted the 28-year-old will be out for a long time but that he will find ways to soften the blow.
“We still don’t have a final decision, but he will be out for a while, maybe less than we expected,” Guardiola said.
“I can’t tell you because we’re waiting for the phone calls from him and the doctors to know exactly what he has and what kind of surgery he needs. I think we’ll know tonight, tomorrow.
Rodri injured his knee after just 16 minutes of the match between Man City and Arsenal
Pep Guardiola has confirmed the Spanish midfielder will not play ‘for a long time’
Mateo Kovacic (right) could be the solution Guardiola says he needs
“We don’t want it, but we’re still going to have a good season. I have a lot of confidence in my players. I have the duty to find a solution.
“Rodri is irreplaceable and the team will not be playing with the best midfielder in the world for a long time. Of course it is a big, big blow for us.
‘It’s football, it happened, and it’s my duty to find a solution, to be competitive as we have been for years.
“Rodri is not here, it’s a problem. But complain? I feel sorry for him. Recover as best you can, we are waiting for you, and go for it. This is the challenge. Go to Newcastle, try to win, do what we have been doing for years. It’s as simple as that.”
Guardiola also revealed that he sent Mikel Arteta a message when City drew with the Gunners, claiming that his former assistant’s tactical set-up was nothing new.
Emotions flared after City’s late equaliser against the Gunners on Sunday afternoon
Guardiola has revealed he told Mikel Arteta ‘they did a great job’ despite criticism from the City players over Arsenal’s tactics
“It’s fine, they were brilliant,” the City manager added. “I admire what they did, I can’t do that with my team.
‘I said to Mikel, they did a great job, no problem. They know their players and do what they have to do.
“The opponents can play however they want. It’s up to us to treat them. We play a lot of teams defensively. Do you know how many times teams play like that? Millions. It’s about us.”