Rodri Undergoes Back Surgery as City Secures Gvardiol's Future
Manchester City will begin the Enzo Maresca era without one of their pillars. Rodri has undergone back surgery and will be out for what the club describe as a “short period of rehabilitation”, leaving a sizeable hole at the heart of the champions’ midfield just weeks before the new season.
Maresca, speaking on Friday, confirmed the Spain international would go under the knife on Monday and stressed the need for a complete reset for a player who has carried an enormous load for club and country.
“He needs a holiday, he needs to rest and recover and then he will be back with us,” the City manager said, underlining that there is no fixed date for his return.
City revealed that Rodri had been “feeling discomfort for some time” before finally opting for the procedure to resolve the issue. The club have not put a timeline on his comeback, but the clock is already ticking loudly in the background.
The Community Shield against Arsenal awaits on 16 August, the traditional curtain-raiser that will offer an early glimpse of Maresca’s tweaks to Pep Guardiola’s old machine. A week later, the Premier League title defence begins at Bournemouth on 23 August. Whether Rodri is ready for either remains unclear.
For City, the worry is obvious. When fit, Rodri is their metronome and safety net rolled into one. Yet the last two seasons have told a different story. His campaign was shredded by a torn anterior cruciate ligament, an injury that ruled him out of most of City’s 2024-25 season and forced Maresca’s predecessor to constantly rewire the side.
All this arrives at a delicate moment in his career. Rodri has just a year left on his contract and sits at the centre of intense speculation over a move to Real Madrid. His stock could hardly be higher: he guided Spain to World Cup glory this month and walked away as player of the tournament, the standout figure in a team of champions.
The surgery, then, is more than a simple medical bulletin. It touches City’s present, their tactical identity, and the looming question of whether one of their most important players will commit his future to the Etihad or be tempted by the pull of the Bernabéu.
While Rodri heads for rehab, the club have moved decisively in another key area of the pitch.
Gvardiol commits long term
At the back, there is clarity. As reported in June, Josko Gvardiol has signed a new five-year contract that runs until the summer of 2031, a statement of faith in a defender who has quickly become central to City’s plans.
The 24-year-old Croatia international arrived from RB Leipzig in August 2023 and has barely paused for breath since. He has already made 122 appearances in sky blue, an astonishing workload that reflects both his durability and his importance.
Trophies have followed. Six of them, including the Premier League title in his debut campaign, as Gvardiol slotted into City’s shape-shifting back line with the calm of a seasoned veteran rather than a big-money newcomer still learning the league.
His extension locks down a cornerstone of City’s defence for the rest of the decade, providing stability at a time when other parts of the squad feel more fluid. With Gvardiol secured and Rodri recovering, Maresca’s first months in charge will be shaped by a simple question: can City absorb the absence of their midfield general without losing the edge that has made them serial winners?
