Manchester City will be without Rodri for the trip to Newcastle United after he was ruled out for the rest of the season.
The midfielder was forced off against Arsenal with a knee injury and Pep Guardiola confirmed this week that the Spain international has undergone surgery and will not be fit until next term. It is a seismic blow for City as they seek to chase a fifth straight Premier League title and reclaim the Champions League trophy.
But City coped without the 28-year-old early this season in their winning start to the campaign and while Guardiola acknowledges no-one can directly replace Rodri wrap p, the Blues do have options. Mateo Kovacic is the clearest candidate to start but his preference is to be part of a double pivot and the solution at Newcastle United on Saturday could be to play Ilkay Gundogan alongside the Croat.
