Rodri reaches huge milestone in ACL injury return bid | OneFootball

Manchester City midfielder Rodri is back in individual training as he steps up his bid to return from an ACL injury.

Rodri went down just five games into the current campaign and was initially predicted to spend the entirety of the season on the sidelines, although there has been plenty of cautious optimism that he could return this year.

Indeed, City included Rodri in their Champions League squad for the second half of the campaign, leaving the door open to a return ahead of schedule. They have since been eliminated from the competition at the hands of Real Madrid.

Continuing his recovery, Rodri was seen taking part in an individual training session out on the grass on Friday. While he still has a lot of work to do to return to competitive action, it is a significant step for the Ballon d'Or winner.

Rodri is pushing himself to return this season, perhaps in the Club World Cup in July after the Premier League campaign has come to an end, but Guardiola has insisted he will not put any pressure on Rodri to return early despite the team's struggles without him.

"In my mind, it's next season for Rodri but maybe he comes back earlier, that would be good for us," Guardiola said.