“We have alternatives” – Pep Guardiola reveals how Manchester City could line-up without Rodri | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has detailed how his side could look for the remainder of the season in the absence of defensive midfield mainstay, Rodri.

The 28-year-old has been ruled out for the remainder of the ongoing 2024/25 season for Manchester City, having sustained both anterior cruciate ligament damage and meniscus problems in his right knee.

It is widely understood that the player had undertaken surgery in the Spanish capital of Madrid this week, having travelled to the country on Monday for further examination, assessment and opinions from medical professionals on the injury.

Despite initial optimism from both the player and Manchester City, the Premier League champions’ worst fears have been confirmed, with Pep Guardiola and his players now having to compete for the biggest of honours without arguably their most integral player.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference ahead of City’s return to Premier League action against Newcastle this weekend, Pep Guardiola was quizzed on whether the combination of Rico Lewis and Mateo Kovacic is his strongest ‘solution’ to Rodri’s absence.

“It’s one of them,” Guardiola insisted in words of confidence for Manchester City supporters concerned over the absence of their Ballon d’Or challenger in Rodri. “We have a few more,” the Catalan tactician continued.

“[Ilkay] Gundo can play in that position, John [Stones] and Manu [Akanji] have played in that position. So we have alternatives to do it.”

Manchester City’s first taste of life without Rodri came in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, competing against Championship side Watford just 49 hours after the Spaniard had sustained the injury blow against Arsenal in the Premier League.

That night it was a combination of Nico O’Reilly and Rico Lewis who deputised at the base of City’s midfield, with the pairing likely to continue in the competition with Guardiola insisting on heavy rotation for the fourth round tie against Tottenham and potentially beyond.

However, the meeting with Newcastle United this weekend is more likely to see Mateo Kovacic take on the role as he has done for most of the ongoing season, with Manchester City remaining unbeaten across all competitions up until this point.