Spain and Manchester City star Rodri Hernandez likely injured for remainder of the season | OneFootball

Spain and Manchester City lynchpin Rodri Hernandez was loud and clear last week after an exhausting season which finished in him going off in the Euro 2024 final with a muscle injury, that FIFA and UEFA needed to ork out a way of reducing the amount of games and demands on players. This weekend he suffered a brutal injury, which will likely see him miss the rest of the season.

Coming off the best campaign of his career, Rodri returned for Spain earlier this month for the first time, and was starting for Manchester City against Arsenal, when after 20 minutes he limped off the pitch. While there was more optimism over his knee, now Diario AS report that the signs are he has indeed torn his anterior cruciate ligament, which would likely rule him out for anywhere between seven months and a year.

The recovery period would depend on the gravity of the tear and whether the surrounding areas are affected. Rodri is now to travel to Madrid for a full examination, and a decisive diagnosis. The 28-year-old would leave a major hole in City and Spain’s midfields.

City will likely have to cover Rodri’s absence with one of Mateo Kovacic, Nico O’Reilly or Ilkay Gundogan until at least January, while Luis de la Fuente will likely look to Martin Zubimendi. At the very least, he will not miss any major international tournaments, but it is a grim prognosis for the Ballon d’Or candidate, who looked to be at the peak of his powers.