LONDON, England – By now, you must be aware of Manchester City’s record in his absence. The three Premier League games that they lost in the previous season were the ones he was unable to play in. The Premier League season could now be defined by finding a solution while he is away.

So how is Pep Guardiola going to go about doing that? Some will recommend the January transfer window, although it’s questionable if there is a true substitute. More significantly, City cannot wait that long to address the issue as they have 14 Premier League games remaining until then.

Rodri’s ligament injury has been confirmed by Manchester City.

Midfielder Rodri has a ligament injury to his right knee, which Manchester City has formally acknowledged. The injury happened in the first half of the team’s most recent Premier League match, a 2-2 draw with Arsenal. Important City player Rodri was forced from the field and has subsequently sought additional medical care to assess the extent of his injuries.

Rodri left Manchester this week to see doctors about the injuries and had follow-up evaluations in Spain. The club is still determining the complete degree of the injuries, and further assessments should shed additional light on his state of health and timetable for recovery. The medical staff at Manchester City are hesitant to offer a firm diagnosis until all examinations and consultations are finished.

Given that Rodri has been a key player in City’s midfield this season, contributing both offensively and defensively, his loss will surely be felt greatly. One of Pep Guardiola’s most dependable players, he can dictate the pace of the game and make key interceptions.

Rodri has received the utmost support from Manchester City during this trying time, and the team will keep you updated on his recovery on their official website. With the hopes of seeing him back on the field soon, the team has sent its warmest wishes for his recuperation. Now that Rodri is injured, questions have been raised about how the squad will function without him throughout the crucial part of the season.

Internal sources must provide the answers. Players need to take charge, and Guardiola needs to reconsider. Additionally, options exist. Here, we examine a few of the competitors whose results could now determine the outcome of the championship race.

Mateo Kovacic

Mateo Kovacic is the most obvious contender considering that he started the season’s opening four Premier League games sans Rodri. Talk about how important the Spaniard is has subsided after City won all four of those games. Still, that just tells a portion of the story.

In City’s home matches against Brentford and Ipswich, they fell behind, and Kovacic was replaced after 50 minutes in both cases. When Rodri isn’t around, the seasoned midfield player hasn’t played at his very best and has made a few careless passes.

That was made clear the previous season when Rodri was serving a three-match suspension and City dropped three straight games against Newcastle, Wolves, and Arsenal.

Ilkay Gundogan 

Ilkay Gundogan’s comeback might be the difference between City and defeat. He was also picked to play in the 2021 Champions League final instead of Rodri, but it was scarcely a success because Chelsea defeated them. Since then, Rodri has never been benched for a major match.

Gundogan has experience playing as a No. 6 because he was utilized in that position for Borussia Dortmund early in his career and occasionally filled in well for City. As his mobility becomes more of a problem later in his career, it might even be a natural transition for him.

Rico Lewis

This kind of tactical adaptability is not limited to highly skilled individuals. Guardiola has really frequently complimented Rico Lewis on his awareness and capacity to adjust to any situation that comes his way. In City’s first six games of the current season, he was trusted to start.

Lewis is a good contender for the deepest midfield position because of his quickness to manage counterattacks and astute placement. Guardiola views his remarkably safe distribution as a plus in his ability to maintain possession control during games.