Manchester City’s Rodri has been ruled out for the remainder of the Premier League season after undergoing cruciate ligament surgery

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed on Friday that Rodri will miss the remainder of the 2024/25 Premier League season after a knee injury.

Rodri underwent surgery this week to repair his cruciate ligament and “part of the meniscus”, Guardiola said. The 28-year-old midfielder was injured during Manchester City’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal on Sunday.

The worst was feared for Rodri earlier this week and after traveling to Barcelona for tests on Monday, the injury was confirmed. Recovery time can vary from six months to a year.

After five games, Manchester City are top of the Premier League with thirteen points, one point ahead of both Liverpool and Aston Villa. Arsenal remain just behind the leaders with 11 points.

It is a major blow for Manchester City, who are looking for their fifth Premier League title in a row. Rodri is also a favorite to win the Ballon d’Or, the annual award given to the best player in the world after a season in which he performed at a high level both domestically and internationally. He was named Player of the Tournament for helping Spain win the 2024 European Championship in July.

In addition to the Premier League season, Rodri will also be unavailable to represent Spain as the country participates in the UEFA Nations League.

Rodri won’t be the only key midfielder missing from Manchester City’s lineup. Kevin De Bruyne has been ruled out of this weekend’s match against Newcastle and may not return until after the upcoming international break.

After being substituted at half-time during Manchester City’s Champions League match against Inter Milan, De Bruyne has missed the last two games due to injury.