Rodri reveals he feared he would never play for Manchester City again after ACL injury

Rodri has admitted he feared his career at Manchester City might be over during his recovery from the ACL injury he sustained against Arsenal in September 2024, with the Spanish midfielder describing a period of serious doubt about whether he would ever play again.

The 29-year-old was sidelined for seven months following the knee injury, eventually returning to action in April 2025. His comeback was further complicated by a groin problem that restricted him to just one of City’s final six Premier League matches of the season.

“When I came back, I had some doubts about being able to play normally again,” Rodri said in an interview with DAZN, as reported by AS. “I felt very limited, in a lot of pain. When you stop completely, your body brings out what it hasn’t been able to do during that time. There was a moment of doubt where I wondered not just if I would return to my previous level, but if I would ever play again.”

The Ballon d’Or winner — he claimed the award during his absence from the pitch — was measured in his assessment of his recovery. “I’ve proven that I have. I’ve returned to that consistency in my football. It’s a long road, that’s clear.”

Rodri also reflected on his relationship with Pep Guardiola, who left City at the end of the 2024-25 season. The midfielder spoke warmly of the Catalan coach’s influence both on and off the pitch.

“On a personal level, you also learn from someone with a very strong character, a very competitive personality,” Rodri said. “He always wants what’s best for the group. On a human level, there are times when he has known how to make distinctions. Those moments speak for him. He is a special person in my career.”

City were cautious throughout Rodri’s rehabilitation, though the groin setback underlined the difficulty of returning from a serious knee injury at the highest level. With Guardiola now gone and a new managerial era beginning at the Etihad, Rodri’s full recovery will be central to the club’s ambitions in the season ahead.