Rodri to Undergo Back Surgery as Manchester City Begins New Era
World Cup champion. Golden Ball winner. Ballon d'Or holder. And now, back in the treatment room.
Rodri, the heartbeat of both Spain and Manchester City, will undergo surgery on a back problem on Monday, new City manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed. It’s a jarring twist for a player who only last week stood at the summit of the world game, lifting the World Cup as captain and being named the tournament’s outstanding performer.
Maresca, speaking at his first press conference as City boss, cut through the noise with a simple update on his midfield general.
"Now, [he has] surgery on Monday. Then he needs a holiday, he needs to rest and recover and then he will be back with us," the Italian said.
No timeline. No grand declarations. Just the cold reality that City’s most influential outfield player faces another spell away from the pitch.
From global glory to another setback
Rodri’s last two seasons at club level have already tested his resilience. An anterior cruciate ligament injury wrecked his 2024-25 campaign, keeping him out for the majority of the season. When he did edge back, a series of setbacks meant he was often unavailable, unable to find rhythm in a side that had once revolved around him.
Then came the World Cup. On the biggest stage, he looked reborn.
Spain built their triumph on his authority in midfield, his calm on the ball, his command without it. The Golden Ball confirmed what the eye had already seen: Rodri was back to his best. For City fans, it felt like a promise of what was to come under Maresca.
Now, that resurgence pauses again.
The operation on his back, followed by a period of recuperation and rest, means City’s new manager starts his tenure knowing he will have to shape the opening chapter of his reign without his most reliable on-field organiser.
Maresca brushes off Madrid talk
As soon as Rodri dazzled in Spain colours, the speculation started. Real Madrid’s name inevitably surfaced, the familiar tug of a return to La Liga attached to one of the game’s elite midfielders.
Maresca was asked about it. He didn’t blink.
"Around big players there are always speculations so I am not worried about that," he said. "I think it is normal, also because they [Spain] won the World Cup and because he is one of the best players. I think every manager wants to have Rodri because he is a top player."
No hint of concern, no suggestion of a looming saga. For Maresca, the issue is Rodri’s fitness, not his future.
City’s spine on hold
For all the talk of tactics and philosophy under a new coach, one truth has defined City in recent years: when Rodri plays, they look like champions. When he doesn’t, they look human.
His ability to control tempo, shield the back line and still influence attacks has made him the reference point in City’s structure. Losing that presence at the start of a new project is a significant complication, however calmly it is presented.
Maresca knows what he is inheriting. He also knows what he is missing, at least in the short term.
Rodri will have his surgery. He will rest. He will recover. City will wait.
The real question is simple: when he does return, how quickly can the man who just conquered the world drag his club back to his level?
