Manchester City's plan to cope with Rodri injury as Pep Guardiola weighs up options

Manchester City are facing up to losing influential midfielder Rodri for the rest of the season, following the injury he suffered in Sunday's 2-2 draw with title rivals Arsenal.

The Spain star is understood to have suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament tear in his right knee which, if confirmed, is almost certain to rule him out for the remainder of the campaign.

So how will City and boss Pep Guardiola cope without one of their most important players, one who lost just once for club and country last season and whose enforced absence will be a huge blow to the Premier League winners?

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How big a blow is the loss of Rodri?

It is difficult to overestimate Rodri's importance to City, in terms of the role he plays and the influence he exerts on the team. Erling Haaland may gain plaudits for his phenomenal goalscoring exploits, and midfielders Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden for their majestic talent and ability to score stunning goals, but Rodri makes the team tick.

Without him, City are nowhere near as effective. Last season's 2-1 FA Cup final loss to local rivals Manchester United was the only defeat Rodri has suffered with City since February 2023, while their three Premier League defeats last season all came without him in the side.

Could the loss of Rodri cost City the title?

City's Premier League title rivals, principally Arsenal and Liverpool, know their chances of being crowned champions will be significantly greater if Rodri is out long-term. Given that Guardiola's side only won the Premier League title by two points from Arsenal last season, the loss of Rodri for a sustained period of time could ultimately prove decisive in terms of the destiny of the title.

City were able to cope without De Bruyne and Haaland for prolonged spells last term, but Guardiola's side will be significantly weakened without arguably the best central defensive midfielder in the world.

Who will replace Rodri in midfield?

When Rodri was forced off in the first-half against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola turned to Mateo Kovacic to replace him, with the Croatia international the likely candidate to fill the void in City's midfield. Kovacic is an experienced player who has adapted well at City following his move from Chelsea in the summer of 2023.

But he is not the only option to replace Rodri in midfield. John Stones has shown he can make the transition from defence to midfield, as has 19-year-old Rico Lewis. Ilkay Gundogan, while not an orthodox holding midfielder, could also drop back into the role, allowing Foden to return to the starting line-up.

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Will City's formation change without Rodri?

When he has his first-choice personnel to pick from, Guardiola's preferred formation is 4-1-2-3, with Rodri anchoring the midfield Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan or Phil Foden in more advanced midfield roles, with two wide men from Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku and Savinho either side of Erling Haaland.

With Rodri out, Guardiola could opt to play two holding midfielders in his place, but that would mean losing one of the wingers and depriving the team of the width that is such a key feature of City's play. A more likely scenario is a simple like-for-like replacement, with Kovacic filling the Rodri void, supported by a midfield two from De Bruyne - who is currently sidelined - Silva, Gundogan and Foden.

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