Manchester City adds Ballon d'Or Rodri to their knock-out squad for the Champions League

Manchester City has made some strategic decisions regarding their Champions League squad for the knockout stages. Rodri remains a key player in the lineup, while January signing Vitor Reis has not been included this time. Pep Guardiola's team has successfully integrated their other three new signings—Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Nico Gonzalez—into the squad, gearing up for the upcoming playoff match against Real Madrid.

Reis has been assigned the No. 22 shirt by City and is firmly regarded as a key player for the future at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola and his coaching staff are actively focused on getting him up to speed.

Egyptian forward Marmoush has been included in the squad after making two notable appearances for City, starting in both the 3-1 victory over Chelsea and the humiliating 5-1 loss to Arsenal.

Khusanov, who had a disastrous debut against Chelsea, is now back in the squad, along with the addition of Gonzalez, a key player for Porto in their Europa League campaign this season. 

Manchester City backs their Ballon d'Or winner 

Manchester City has retained Rodri in the lineup, anticipating that the Ballon d'Or winner will be ready to contribute in the crucial latter stages of the competition if they advance.

The Ballon d'Or winner sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the 2-2 draw against Arsenal in September, which led to initial concerns about a long-term absence from the season. 

Rodri has rejoined the squad and has been participating in training sessions in recent weeks. However, Guardiola emphasised the importance of taking a cautious approach as Rodri worked towards his full comeback.

“He’s positive but I don’t know, to be honest. An ACL is an ACL," Pep said.

“Of course, he’d love to play tomorrow—I know that. But the body is the body, and recovery needs its own time. It’s going really well and he feels really good, but step by step we will see.” Pep added.