Rodri has discussed when he could potentially return to Manchester City after suffering an ACL injury earlier this season.
Rodri has discussed when he could possibly make his return from his ACL injury.
Arsenal, now nine points behind the Reds, look to be falling away a bit this season.
This means that Arne Slot’s men are set to face a familiar foe in Manchester City for the title – something they are no strangers to doing.
Traditionally, Liverpool and Manchester City were not considered direct rivals. Liverpool, with a rich history of domestic and European success, had amassed numerous titles by the late 20th century.
In contrast, Manchester City experienced sporadic success, with notable achievements like the 1968 league title and the 1970 European Cup Winners’ Cup.
The dynamic began to shift in the early 2010s, particularly during the 2013–14 Premier League season. Both clubs engaged in a thrilling title race, with Manchester City ultimately clinching the championship by two points, leaving Liverpool in second place.
The rivalry intensified in subsequent seasons, marked by several closely contested title races:
2018–19 Season: Manchester City edged Liverpool to the Premier League title by a single point, with the Reds going on to become league champions the following season as the two teams swapped positions on the table.
2021–22 Season: Once again, the title race went down to the wire, with Manchester City finishing just one point ahead of Liverpool, securing the championship on the final day.
What did Rodri say about a possible return?
There is no doubt the Spaniard is Manchester City’s most important player at this point, with Kevin De Bruyne continued injury troubles over the past seasons taking their toll on the Belgian.
City have lost four games in a row for the first time since 2006.
Man City since start of last PL season
With Rodri: 0 losses in 36 games
Without Rodri: 5 losses in 13 games pic.twitter.com/WtpDWORsq0— StatMuse FC (@statmusefc) November 9, 2024
It’s clear they are missing their midfield anchor, but it seems that the Ballon D’or winner may be back sooner rather than later.
Speaking to El Partidazo de COPE, the 28-year-old said:
“I have in mind to play this season.”
“Now, the seasons are getting longer and the [FIFA Club] World Cup ends on July 13, I have in mind to return this year, as a challenge.”
“I’ve already started walking and I’m feeling better than I thought.”
“Gavi used to say: ‘I need to play football’. At my age, you see it differently, you have time to rest and recover well.”
Meanwhile, Ruben Dias believes that the season is still young, saying to Sky Sports:
“Just as we’re not out [of the title race]… no-one’s out. It’s still early days in the season and obviously there’s still a lot to happen.”
“We all know how the Premier League is; that’s why we love it so much. We also know that this is going to be a very wild season in terms of time to rest and just dealing with it and moving on forward, so it’s a long run.”
“We’re what, maybe one-third of the way, getting to the halfway [point of the season]? So yeah, there’s still a lot to play.”
