Rodri remains confident that he will not miss a match for Manchester City despite hobbling off injured during the 1-0 triumph over Brentford. The defensive midfielder was forced off after merely 20 minutes at the Gtech Stadium but has eased concerns regarding his latest scare.
The setback will sideline Rodri from Spain’s forthcoming international matches. He was due to link up with the national squad but will now miss those fixtures after experiencing discomfort in his hamstring. Yet the Spaniard is optimistic about featuring against Everton in a fortnight’s time, believing he prevented further damage by requesting an immediate substitution.
“I’m good,” he said. “I felt a little bit in the hamstring but it seems like it’s not that much. The important thing was the victory. I stretched the leg a little bit, a bit like in the Euros final. I stretched a little bit but it’s part of the process.
“I don’t feel that I feel tired muscle wise, I feel fresh but the most important thing is it’s not that big.
“It’s part of the process. The good thing about this is you get out, you don’t let the muscle stretch now. The good thing is the break so it will be even better in this sense to recover these days and hopefully I can be in the next game.”
Pep Guardiola was questioned about Rodri’s condition during his pre-match press conference before the journey to London and suggested it was doubtful he would return to peak form before the World Cup.
“Rodri is an outstanding player, everyone knows it, maybe he struggled to understand it’s not about six months or 12, the World Cup will be the best Rodri and next season will be the best Rodri, this year is how to handle it,” said the City boss.
“One year he has been out. The body changes, the rhythm changes, it’s a question of time, if he’s healthy he will be back.”