Context: Rodri’s Season-Ending Injury and Reaction from Alan Shearer
Manchester City’s key player, Rodri, suffered a season-ending injury just five matches into the new campaign. The Spanish midfielder, who played over 250 games for City and more than 50 for Spain, including winning Euro 2024, damaged his knee ligaments during City’s match against Arsenal. Rodri had only recently returned to club football and his absence will be deeply felt by his team.
Pep Guardiola on Rodri’s Injury:
Guardiola: “Next season he will be here. This season is over. It is what it is at that level. We are here to support him. Good recovery, step-by-step and we move forward. What he gives us we don’t have a similar player, but all the players together can replace what Rodri has or has given us since arriving to us. We have to find a way to play a lot of months without an important player for us, everybody knows it. We want a speedy recovery for next season.”
Context: Alan Shearer’s Support for Rodri
Premier League legend Alan Shearer, who experienced a similar ACL injury during his career, offered words of support to Rodri, acknowledging the mental and physical toll of such a setback. Shearer, who spent six to seven months recovering from his own ACL injury, empathized with the City midfielder and shared insights from his own experience.
Alan Shearer’s Message to Rodri:
Shearer: “I’ve been there myself in terms of an ACL injury and I was out for six or seven months, so I know exactly how Rodri will feel and how the football club will feel. It’s a long road back. It’s horrible, it really is. It’s devastating because what you love doing most is going into training and having the craic with the lads, then obviously playing football, and that’s been taken away from you for however long. Whether it’s five months, six months, seven months – or whatever it may be – it’s a long road back. You’ve got the operation, if Rodri is going to have that, then you’re in a rest period and then you’re in rehab period. It’s a long road back and you have to be really strong mentally to get over it.”
Context: Rodri’s Impact on Manchester City
Rodri’s injury comes at a critical time for Manchester City, as the team was planning for a long season ahead. Guardiola and his backroom staff now face the challenge of adapting to life without their talisman and carefully managing his eventual recovery and return to the pitch.
