Rodri's Injury Update: Will He Feature in FA Cup Semi-Final?
Rodri’s season has turned into a race against the clock.
The midfielder underwent medical tests earlier this week to assess a groin problem, and the results have cast a shadow over City’s upcoming schedule. The immediate task is Burnley away, but inside the club the real question is sharper: will Rodri be ready for the FA Cup semi-final against Southampton this weekend?
Right now, the answer leans towards no.
“I think for tomorrow he will not be ready,” Pep Guardiola admitted in his pre-match press conference. “We’ll see for next games the FA Cup semi-final against Southampton or 12 days later for the Premier League game at Everton.”
That 12-day window suddenly feels huge. City have a sizeable break in their league programme after the cup tie, a gap that might just give Rodri the breathing space he needs to feature in the decisive run-in. Or it might not. The clock is ticking on a player who has already had to fight his way back once this season.
Another setback for a bruised season
This latest issue adds another layer to what has been a stop-start campaign for the Spaniard. He missed a big chunk of the first half of the season with a hamstring injury, then spent months working his way back to the level that made him one of Europe’s standout midfielders before last season’s ACL blow.
Just as he looked like himself again, the groin goes.
For a player who anchors everything City do, it is more than an inconvenience. It is a structural problem. Rodri isn’t just a name on the team sheet; he’s the pivot, the metronome, the insurance policy when attacks break down.
Now Guardiola has to improvise.
Nico Gonzalez steps into the storm
With Rodri sidelined for the immediate future, the responsibility shifts. Nico Gonzalez is expected to step into the holding midfield role, a job he has already handled during Rodri’s previous absences this season.
He knows the drill. So does his manager.
“Nico Gonzalez helped us a lot in the absence of Rodri to be where we are now,” Guardiola said, underlining his trust in the deputy who has quietly become a key squad piece.
This is where City’s depth is supposed to tell. Top of the table. Chasing trophies on multiple fronts. Missing their midfield anchor. The margins tighten, and the rotation players are no longer luxuries; they’re lifelines.
Defensive worries pile on
The problems don’t stop in midfield.
Ruben Dias has been ruled out of the Burnley trip as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury, stripping another leader out of the spine of the side and forcing Guardiola into a defensive reshuffle.
No Rodri. No Dias. A cup semi-final looming. A title race that allows no pauses.
City still have the quality to navigate it. They always do. But with their core bruised and patched up, how long can they keep walking this tightrope at the top of the Premier League and in the cups?
