Manchester City will be concerned about midfielder Rodri’s fitness after he sustained an injury during the Club World Cup final against Fluminense.
The injury occurred during a challenge from Fluminense’s Alexsander in the latter stages of the match in Jeddah. Despite City’s comfortable lead, Rodri, after feeling pain, opted not to push himself further, choosing to withdraw from the game.
Before his injury, Manchester City had a commanding lead of three goals, with Julian Alvarez opening the scoring in the initial minute, followed by Phil Foden’s goal and an own goal by Nino.
Since joining City from Atletico Madrid in 2019, Rodri has played a pivotal role, notably scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final. The team has faced difficulties in his absence this season, evident in their losses to Wolves and Arsenal when he was serving suspensions.
During the Fluminense match, Rodri exited the game, making way for Manuel Akanji. However, City managed to net a fourth goal through Alvarez before the final whistle.
Erling Haaland, City’s top scorer, missed previous Club World Cup matches and Premier League games due to an injury. City’s scheduled match with Brentford was rescheduled for their Club World Cup involvement, and their upcoming game against Everton will reveal Rodri’s potential availability, while they continue to navigate the absence of midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.
Following the Everton fixture, City’s subsequent game is against Sheffield United on December 30, before a temporary break from league action until January 13, with an FA Cup third-round encounter against Huddersfield Town in between.
