Rodri, a midfielder for Manchester City, tore his anterior cruciate ligament and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
After colliding with Thomas Partey on Sunday, the 28-year-old hobbled out of the Premier League match against Arsenal, 2-2.
Rodri underwent knee surgery recently, and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he will miss the remainder of the season.
“He had surgery this morning – ACL and some meniscus,” Guardiola said on Friday.
“So, next season he will be here. This season is over [for him].”
During last season’s championship run-in, in which City defeated Arsenal to earn their fourth straight league title, Guardiola declared that Rodri was “irreplaceable.”
Last season, Rodri missed five games, four of which City lost.
“Unfortunately we got the worst (news) but these things happen,” added Guardiola. “We will be there to support him in his recovery step-by-step.
“What he gives us, we don’t have a similar player.
“But the others can all together replace what Rodri has given since his arrival to us. We will have to do it as a team and find a way to play a lot of matches without an important player for us.”
Kevin de Bruyne, a midfielder for Belgium, will be absent for City’s Premier League match against Newcastle United on Saturday (12:30 BST).
De Bruyne did not play in the draw against Arsenal and might not play again until after the October international break.
Rodri’s Role
Since joining City in 2019, they’ve lost 11% of games with Rodri compared to 24% without him. After a six-week hamstring injury, he made his first Premier League start this season against Arsenal. Voted player of the tournament at Euro 2024, Rodri is a top Ballon d’Or contender. He also expressed concerns over the increased game schedule, hinting at a potential player strike.
