Over the past 14 period, Rodri has been mostly out of action because of an ACL injury incurred in a match with Arsenal, managing a mere 588 minutes for Manchester City because of multiple relapses, the latest of which kept him out from Wednesday’s 4-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. While Pep Guardiola has stated that “he will not be out for a while,” the 29-year-old stands as crucial to the coach’s system. Below, we assess the alternatives …
The Young Spaniard
“The first option when Rodri is out is definitely Nico. Nico is showing progress,” the City manager stated prior to Sunday’s 3-1 win versus Bournemouth. Standing 6ft 2in and just 23 at the time he was signed for a significant fee from Porto earlier this year, González is practically carbon copy of Rodri. Actually, Guardiola labeled the ex- Barcelona player as a “mini-Rodri” last season, yet against Bournemouth there were instances when he was pressured and lost possession in midfield in a manner Rodri, in top form, would not be. It is little shame, nevertheless, in not being in the same caliber as the Ballon d’Or winner.
Kovacic
The ongoing unavailability of City’s other holding midfielder with an ankle issue could be a strain for City in case Nico also collect an injury throughout Rodri’s absence. Kovacic has shone consistently for City since joining the club from Chelsea for £25m in June 2023 and has a CV that makes clear he is a stellar talent. His past employers feature Dinamo Zagreb, Inter and Real Madrid. He possesses a wealth of titles to his name, such as one La Liga title, one Premier League title and four Champions League winner’s medals.
Rico Lewis
The young defender has accumulated 103 games for City, roughly a 25% of which were as a deep-lying playmaker. The boy from Bury is versed in the 360-vision, technique, defensive work and work rate the duty calls for in a the manager’s side, yet the manager has cited Lewis’s relatively short stature as a drawback in that role. “It’s necessary to have physicality, for evident purposes,” he said. “It was less [needed] in Barcelona, Bayern Munich [Guardiola’s former teams].” Nearing 21 in the coming weeks, Lewis is young and should only continue to improve.
John Stones
“His contributions to the pitch is superb quality as a central defender and perhaps as a crucial No 6.” That opinion there by Thomas Tuchel and one that echoes Guardiola in regards to the ‘versatile star’. Among Stones’s 408 matches at club level, 27 have been as a deep midfielder and he excelled in that role when stepping up from defense to play next to Rodri in City’s UCL final win over Inter. “The spatial awareness was the hardest for me,” Stones admitted about playing in the position. “It doesn’t come naturally – I believe I’ve developed, but that is thanks to learning where to get the ball and how to receive it in particular moments.”
The Dutch Newcomer
Reijnders was signed by City from Milan during the off-season as a stand-in for Kevin De Bruyne. In his own words at the summer’s Club World Cup: “The advanced midfield role is why they [City] got me. Now it’s up to me to play in that position and do my best to prove that I deserve to start.” With Nico recovering from a minor injury, Reijnders started as a defensive midfielder in last month’s 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa and was moved into attack when the Spanish player entered the field shortly after the second half, the episode offering a snapshot of where he fits in Guardiola’s thinking, specifically as a reserve.
Matheus Nunes
Of Brazilian origin Portugal star has made merely nine matches as a deep-lying midfielder throughout his career and his only game in the position for City taking place against Nottingham Forest in September 2023. He played the full 90 and delivered an key pass in a 2-0 win.
The Forgotten Man
City’s overlooked player is only 29. Additionally, he has played as a holding midfielder on 164 instances throughout his career and did well enough in the role to be called up by England. Yet, it is apparent he lacks the faith of Guardiola.
