Manchester City’s Rodri to have surgery on back injury, return date unknown

Manchester City midfielder Rodri will undergo surgery on a back injury, but a prognosis for his return is unknown.

The Spain captain was awarded the Golden Ball at this summer’s World Cup after leading his side to tournament success — his nation’s first since 2010. The 30-year-old started all eight matches, following back-to-back injury-disrupted seasons with City.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner is facing an uncertain future at City, with one year remaining on his contract. The Athletic reported that talks are expected to take place following the World Cup, but he, so far, has not shown a willingness to extend his terms.

The midfielder has been repeatedly linked with a move to Real Madrid, and has expressed a desire to return to his home country at some stage during his playing career. However, The Athletic reported that Madrid have no intentions of signing him.

Rodri has struggled to make a similar impact for City since he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in September 2024. That injury ruled him out for almost the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign, and fitness issues lingered into last season, with hamstring and groin issues restricting him to 33 appearances in all competitions. He started 17 of City’s 38 Premier League matches last season.

Rodri was a key element to Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning side in 2022-23. He scored in the 1-0 Champions League final victory against Inter, and made 56 appearances that season as they also won the Premier League title and FA Cup.

The impact of Rodri’s absence has been eased to an extent after Elliot Anderson signed from Nottingham Forest this summer in a deal worth £116million. However, The Athletic reported on July 21 that Mateo Kovacic and Nico Gonzalez are considered as likely to leave, while Bernardo Silva has already departed the Etihad Stadium following the expiration of his contract.

City’s 2026-27 season gets underway at home against Bournemouth on August 23.