Man City Star, Rodri Returns To Training After 11 Months Injury
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Rodri has returned to training ahead of the last few weeks of the season.
Rodri was expected to miss the rest of the season after he suffered a knee injury, rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament in Man City’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal in September.
The Spanish midfielder has been sorely missed by Man City as they struggled to maintain their usually high standards since his injury.
The defending champions have endured their worst season under Pep Guardiola, failing to defend their Premier League title, and also crashing out of the Champions League in the playoffs stage.
However, In his absence, Man City qualified for their third consecutive FA Cup final, and they will be taking on Crystal Palace on May 17.
Guardiola was delighted to welcome Rodri back to training while refusing to reveal when he will be back on the pitch.
He said: “We are really pleased Erling is back, that Rodri is back in the training sessions.
“The moment the physio and doctor says, ‘Rodri can start to play minutes’, and after that he will start to play minutes. But the doctors have to tell me.
“It was a difficult injury, seven to 11 months after the doctors.
“He feels really good every day making sessions and sessions, but we have to avoid making a step backwards or getting injured again. That’s why you have to be careful.
“The important (thing) is one training session, another one, and every time he feels better and better. And when the doctor says ‘Rodri is stable and he can start to play’, after that he is going to come back.”
Man City are 21 points behind table-toppers Liverpool, and they are involved in a Champions League race with the likes of Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, and Chelsea.
Guardiola insisted that the team will be judged by their Premier League performances.
He said: “Being in another final speaks so highly about the volume of generation of players and this club. And we are very pleased we are in the final.
“But the season is defined by the Premier League and being consistent and this season that couldn’t happen.”
Guardiola is expecting a tough match against Wolves, who are on a six-match winning run.
He concluded: “I’m not surprised [by Wolves’ form]. In the last few years, I think they have always had really good players, and now they’ve had an incredible run.
“It’s quite similar to when Newcastle came a month ago and Aston Villa came. It’s another final for us. We have four finals, and now we go for the first one.”
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola has been nominated for Premier League manager of the month of April after guiding Man City to four wins, and a draw from five league matches in April.
Man City Star, Rodri Returns To Training After 11 Months Injury is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
