Pep Guardiola announces that Rodri will miss Manchester City’s season opener against Chelsea.

Pep Guardiola announces that Rodri will miss Manchester City’s season opener against Chelsea.

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Rodri will be unavailable for Manchester City’s season opener against Chelsea. The Spanish midfielder has yet to participate in any pre-season training with the team, which has raised concerns about his fitness.

Rodri played a crucial role in Spain’s successful Euro campaign this summer, featuring in all seven matches. However, he was forced off at halftime during the final against England due to a knock. This injury has kept him out of City’s preparations for the new season.

Guardiola had hoped to have Rodri ready for the start of the Premier League campaign, but his absence in training has been a significant setback. “He had zero training sessions with us, he’s not ready,” Guardiola stated, highlighting the seriousness of Rodri’s situation.

The impact of Rodri’s absence is notable, as Manchester City has struggled without him in recent matches. They have lost their last four away games without the midfielder, underscoring his importance to the team. Since joining the club in 2020, Rodri has been instrumental in helping City secure four consecutive Premier League titles.

In addition to his fitness issues, Rodri recently found himself in hot water with UEFA. Along with Spain captain Alvaro Morata, he received a one-game ban after making controversial comments following Spain’s European Championship victory.

The pair were caught on camera singing “Gibraltar is Spanish,” a statement that sparked outrage and led to a formal complaint from the Gibraltar FA. UEFA quickly opened disciplinary proceedings against both players in response to the incident.

In late July, UEFA’s disciplinary body charged Rodri and Morata for their actions. The charges cited violations of the general principles of conduct and accused the players of using a sporting event for non-sporting manifestations.

UEFA’s Control, Ethics, and Disciplinary Body determined that the players had brought the sport of football, and UEFA in particular, into disrepute. As a result, both Rodri and Morata were handed one-game bans.

These bans apply to both club and country competitions, meaning Rodri’s absence will be felt not only by Manchester City but also by the Spanish national team. The timing of this disciplinary action, combined with Rodri’s fitness issues, adds another layer of complexity to Guardiola’s plans for the start of the season.