Pep Guardiola reveals Rodri will MISS Man City’s season opener against Chelsea – and admits the Spanish midfielder has not had a single training session with the side in pre-season
- The midfielder was a key part of the Spanish team that won the European Championship this summer
- Rodri has won four consecutive Premier League titles since his arrival in 2020
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Pep Guardiola has revealed that Rodri has not yet trained with Manchester City in pre-season and will not be considered for Sunday’s season opener against Chelsea.
The midfielder was part of the Spanish team that won the European Championship this summer, playing in all seven games until an injury forced him to be substituted at half-time in the final against England (2-1).
Man City’s manager hoped his midfielder would be fit for the start of the season, but his lack of fitness has been a setback for the Etihad club.
Guardiola said today: ‘He has had zero training sessions with us, he is not ready yet.’
City have lost their last four away games without Rodri, who has won four consecutive Premier League titles since arriving in 2020.
Pep Guardiola has revealed that Rodri has not yet had a training session with Manchester City in pre-season
Man City’s manager confirmed the midfielder would miss this weekend’s match
Man City begin their campaign with an away match against Chelsea on Sunday afternoon
Last week, he and Spain captain Alvaro Morata were both suspended by UEFA after controversial comments following their European Championship victory.
The pair were caught singing ‘Gibraltar is Spanish’, prompting UEFA to launch disciplinary proceedings against the pair after the Gibraltar Football Association filed a formal complaint.
Both were charged in late July, with UEFA’s disciplinary body having the power to impose suspensions for both international and club competitions in Europe.
UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body subsequently suspended the pair for one match, finding them guilty of “failing to comply with the general rules of conduct, violating the basic rules of decent behaviour, using sporting events for events of a non-sporting nature and bringing the sport of football, and UEFA in particular, into disrepute.”