Rodri injury: Peter Crouch and Joe Cole back Manchester City and Pep Guardiola to overcome midfielder's absence
Updated 27/09/2024 at 23:59 GMT+1
Manchester City's fears were realised on Friday when manager Pep Guardiola confirmed Spain international Rodri would miss the remainder of the 2024/25 Premier League season with a knee injury. It is a huge blow to lose a player of the abilities of Rodri, but TNT Sports pundits Joe Cole and Peter Crouch feel there is enough quality in the squad to offset the loss of the midfielder.
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Joe Cole and Peter Crouch are confident Manchester City have enough quality in their ranks to offset the loss of star midfielder Rodri.
Ahead of Manchester City’s trip to Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, manager Pep Guardiola confirmed the Spain international would play no further part in the campaign.
He sustained a serious knee injury in the first minute of last weekend’s draw with title rivals Arsenal.
Rodri is second favourite behind Vinicius Junior to win the Ballon d’Or, and has been a key figure for City since making the move from Atletico Madrid in 2019.
While losing a player of the quality of Rodri will be a huge blow to City, Crouch and Cole are convinced Guardiola can find a solution.
"I think City have got enough about them to cope without Rodri," Crouch told TNT Sports. "The stats tell us that with Rodri they're far better with him than without him.
"He's a real key player for them, but Manchester City I think if anyone has the ability to cope, I think they do."
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Cole was of a similar mindset, suggesting Guardiola could use the likes of John Stones or Rico Lewis to fill the void – or shift formation to make things more secure in midfield.
"Losing Rodri is going to affect you because he's so effective," Cole told TNT Sports. "He's so good.
"He's arguably been the most important player in the last couple of years at Man City. It's a real blow, but Pep Guardiola will find a solution."
The transfer window is now closed, meaning City could not raid the market until January, but Cole feels financial issues and the current Premier League investigation would prevent them from spending big on a replacement.
"I don't think they need to go out and replace him," Cole said. "I don't think they're capable of going out [and buying a replacement], with what's going on with the financial situation.
"There's more than enough quality in that squad. He could put John Stones in midfield.
"Rico Lewis, we've seen [Mateo] Kovacic come in and play well there. There's plenty of options.
"He might go to a double holding midfielder just to solidify down there. They'll be fine."
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Guardiola confirms ‘irreplaceable’ Rodri will ‘be out for a long time, a while’
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TNT Sports will show over 500 matches from the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League across the 2024/25 season. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.
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