Manchester City midfielder Rodri hints on possible return date from injury

After receiving the 2024 Ballon d'Or, Rodri stated in a recent interview in Spain that he would still play for Manchester City this season. After conquering fierce competition, mostly from the Spanish game, the 28-year-old was just named the world's finest football player for the past year. He became the first defensive midfielder to be awarded the Ballon d'Or since Lothar Matthaus in 1990.

After winning the Premier League for the fourth straight campaign with Manchester City as well as the European Championships alongside Spain and earning the Player of the Tournament performance during the summer, Rodri received the honor and the crowning occasion in the French city, Paris.

However, despite defeating rivals like Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, and Vinicius Jr. of Real Madrid to win the Ballon d'Or title, Rodri's season would not continue because of a major knee injury he suffered earlier in the season. The player himself has different thoughts about returning to duty for the team, even if Pep Guardiola and Manchester City medical staff have ruled him out for the rest of the season.

In a recent conversation alongside El Partidazo de COPE, Rodri made it apparent that he plans to rejoin Manchester City's squad before the current season ends in all competitions. “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'm feeling better than I thought” : Rodri

After suffering a double damage to his knee in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal earlier this campaign, Rodri provided an update on his recuperation from knee surgery, saying, "I've already started walking and I'm feeling better than I thought."

As the team looks to find a solution to his unavailability in the squad or during the winter transfer market, Rodri's remarks do seem to imply that he has little to no chance of playing for Manchester City within all of their other major competitions this season.