Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has cast significant doubt over the immediate return of key midfielder Rodri, admitting he does not know when the Spaniard will be fit to play again.
Rodri's Ongoing Fitness Battle
The 29-year-old Spanish international, who missed a large portion of last season with a serious knee injury, is now grappling with a separate hamstring problem. This latest issue has severely limited his involvement, restricting him to just a single one-minute appearance across City's last ten matches in all competitions.
Rodri has officially been ruled out of Manchester City's Premier League away fixture against Fulham on Tuesday. Furthermore, his participation in the following Saturday's home clash with Sunderland is now considered highly doubtful.
Guardiola's Brief Press Conference
Addressing the media in a press conference that lasted only a few minutes on Monday, Guardiola was direct when questioned about Rodri's availability. "No, not yet," was his response to whether the midfielder was ready. Pressed on the possibility of a weekend return, the manager simply stated, "I don't know."
Donnarumma's Disciplinary Concern
Guardiola also briefly commented on the situation of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian shot-stopper received his fourth yellow card in a Manchester City shirt during the dramatic 3-2 victory over Leeds United on Saturday.
This booking, which followed accusations from Leeds manager Daniel Farke that Donnarumma feigned injury to allow Guardiola to give a team talk, leaves the goalkeeper just one caution away from an automatic suspension. "Yes, he has a lot (of bookings), he has many," Guardiola acknowledged. "It is what it is." When asked if he had spoken to the player about the matter, Guardiola replied, "No."
Praise for Fulham and Marco Silva
In contrast to his terse injury updates, Guardiola was more expansive in his praise for Tuesday's opponents, Fulham, and their manager Marco Silva. He highlighted their impressive 2-1 away win against Tottenham Hotspur.
"Marco is many, many years there and always (when we) have been there — really, really tough games, difficult," said Guardiola. He commended Fulham's "exceptional" organisation and noted their continual improvement in possession. "Every year I have the feeling that with the ball, they are better and better. Tough, tough opponent."
The City boss confirmed he had studied Fulham's recent performances, including matches against Chelsea, Arsenal, and Sunderland. He concluded by warning about the challenge at Craven Cottage, stating, "Always it's so, so difficult for the opponents to break them up. It has always been like that in this beautiful stadium in London."
