Manchester City have seen Rodri suffer another injury setback, with the Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder forced off after just 20 minutes of their Premier League clash with Brentford. The Spain international was able to walk from the field, but was clearly in some discomfort and could be facing up to another spell on the sidelines after struggling to recover form and fitness on the back of a devastating ACL injury.

How long will Rodri be sidelined for?

Rodri suffered knee ligament damage back in September 2024. He missed all but seven minutes of that campaign after being forced to take a long road to recovery. The 29-year-old returned to action in May 2025 before featuring for City at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The hope was that he was over any fitness issues, but that is clearly not the case.

Pep Guardiola is seeing an important member of his star-studded squad head back to the treatment table. It remains to be seen how long Rodri will be sidelined for, with another international break being reached that will allow those nursing knocks to take in a much-needed rest.AdvertisementGettyAnother untimely setback for Rodri

There were less than 20 minutes on the clock at the Gtech Community Stadium when Rodri was forced to bring his latest appearance to a close. City put the ball out of play, allowing the Spaniard to take a seat on the turf. He appeared to be close to tears as the realisation that another setback has been endured set in.

Rodri sat shaking his head while waiting for City’s medical team to come to his aid. It was quickly determined that nothing could be done for him on the field. With that in mind, he was escorted towards the touchline. There was no need for a stretcher, as Nico Gonzalez took his place, but Rodri was limping and headed straight down the tunnel.

Knee problems becoming an unfortunate theme

Rodri has figured in five Premier League fixtures for City this season, while also gracing a couple of Champions League matches and two international dates with Spain. He has completed the full 90 minutes just twice, with his game time still being carefully managed.

His involvement at Brentford was not considered to be a risk, but Rodri’s body has broken down on him again. He missed 53 games for City across 236 days after damaging knee ligaments. A further setback in early August kept him out of two matches. An unfortunate theme looks to have continued, with Rodri holding his leg after being forced off against Brentford.

Getty ImagesReaction to return from ACL injury

Rodri said after making his long-awaited return to action after ACL trouble: “The reception from the fans that night, for me, was incredible. They were desperate for me to come back in the same way I was desperate to come back, and this love they showed me – and not just for me, for my girlfriend and for my family – for all of us – makes me so proud.

“They could easily have not done that because the season was going wrong, but they were just happy for me to come back as an individual to come back and try to help the team. Everyone plays a part in being a successful club – the fans, us, all the players – and they know they have to be there in the bad moments and for me there has been no exceptions to this, because they’ve always been there and that for me means an awful lot to me.”