What's happened
World Cup champion Rodri is set to undergo back surgery on Monday after a season disrupted by injuries, with Manchester City preparing for the new campaign. Maresca confirms plans to manage his squad through surgery and a light schedule before a potential return, while transfer chatter around key players continues.
What's behind the headline?
Key angles
- Rodri’s back surgery risks interrupting City’s midfield plans just as Maresca begins his tenure and shapes the squad.
- The timing of surgery ahead of a busy start could influence transfer decisions and squad depth.
- Speculation around Rodri’s future remains a talking point, with Real Madrid previously linked.
What happens next
- City will assess fitness after surgery and determine when Rodri can rejoin first-team duties.
- Maresca will rely on backup options and may adjust his midfield rotation to cope with possible absences.
- The club may yet push for moves in the transfer window to bolster depth.
How we got here
Rodri’s injury history includes an ACL rupture in 2024 and multiple setbacks that affected his 2024-25 and 2025-26 campaigns. As City transition to Maresca, questions surround Rodri’s future and the start of the season.
Our analysis
BBC, The Guardian, The Independent, Al Jazeera, The Guardian (other pieces cited), excerpts of press conference quotes.
Go deeper
- Will Rodri return before the end of the calendar year?
- Who steps in if Rodri is unavailable for long periods?
- How will Maresca structure City’s midfield this season?
More on these topics
-
Manchester City Football Club - Football club
Manchester City Football Club is an English football club based in Manchester that competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's, it became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City i
-
Enzo Maresca - Italian former footballer
Vincenzo 'Enzo' Maresca is an Italian former footballer who played as a midfielder, and is the current Parma manager. After starting out at West Bromwich Albion in 1998, he went on to play for several clubs in his country, including Juventus, who loaned h
-
Premier League - Football league
The Premier League, often referred to as the English Premier League or the EPL outside England, is the top level of the English football league system.
-
Arsenal F.C. - Football club
Arsenal Football Club is a professional football club based in Islington, London, England, that plays in the Premier League, the top flight of English football.
-
Chelsea F.C. - Football club
Chelsea Football Club are an English professional football club based in Fulham, London. Founded in 1905, the club competes in the Premier League, the top division of English football.
-
Spain - Country
Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southwestern Europe with some pockets of territory across the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean. Its continental European territory is situated on the Iberian Peninsula.
-
Jack Grealish - Footballer
Jack Peter Grealish is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger or as an attacking midfielder and captains Premier League club Aston Villa.
-
James Trafford - Footballer
James Harrington Trafford is an English professional footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers, on loan from Manchester City, as a goalkeeper.
-
Everton F.C. - Football club
Everton Football Club is an English professional football club based in Liverpool that competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.
-
Pep Guardiola - Spanish football manager
Josep "Pep" Guardiola Sala is a Spanish professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Premier League club Manchester City. He is considered to be one of the greatest managers of all time.
-
Rodri - Wikimedia disambiguation page
Rodri may refer to: Rodri (footballer, born 1934) (1934–2022), full name Francisco Rodríguez García, Spanish football defender for Barcelona Rodri (footballer, born 1971), full name Antonio Rodríguez Saravia, Spanish football forward and manager for Gimnàstic etc Rodri (footballer, born 1979), full name Rodrigo Gimeno Molina, Spanish football midfielder for Castellón Rodri (footballer, born 1984), full name Sergio Rodríguez García, Spanish football defender for Spartak Moscow, Eupen etc Rodri (footballer, born 1985), full name Rodrigo Ángel Gil Torres, Spanish football midfielder for Elche, Orihuela etc Rodri (footballer, born 1986), full name Rodrigo Suárez Peña, Spanish football midfielder for Betis Rodri (footballer, born 1990), full name Rodrigo Ríos Lozano, Spanish football forward for Córdoba, Oviedo etc Rodri (footballer, born 1996), full name Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, Spanish football midfielder for Villarreal, Manchester City, 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri (footballer, born 2000), full name Rodrigo Sánchez Rodríguez, Spanish football midfielder for Betis Rodri (footballer, born 2002), full name Rodrigo Suárez Marcos, Spanish football defender for Cultural Leonesa Rodri...