MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Manchester City midfielder Rodri will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament, manager Pep Guardiola confirmed on Friday in a big blow to his team's quest for a fifth consecutive Premier League title.
Rodri underwent surgery for the injury earlier on Friday, Guardiola said.
"Surgery this morning, ACL and some meniscus (cartilage), next season he will be here. This season is over," Guardiola told reporters. "Unfortunately we got the worst but these things happen. We will be there to support him in his recovery step-by-step."
The Spaniard injured his right knee during the team's 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.
Guardiola's team top the table on 13 points ahead of Saturday's clash at Newcastle United.
The injury is a cruel twist, coming days after the 28-year-old Rodri warned of strike action by players over their increasing workload.
Rodri is considered a favourite to win the Ballon d'Or after leading City to an unprecedented fourth straight Premier League before being named Euro 2024 player of the tournament as Spain clinched the title.
"What he gives us, we don't have a similar player. But the others can all together replace what Rodri has given since his arrival to us. We will have to do it as a team and find a way to play a lot of matches without an important player for us," Guardiola added.
Rodri appeared to jam his knee in the 21st minute at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, and looked in considerable pain while he was treated on the pitch before limping off.
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The midfielder, who arrived at City from Atletico Madrid in 2019, leaves a huge void with City having not lost a league game that he has started in since February 2023.
"We will have to do it as a team and find a way to play a lot of matches without an important player for us. We are stronger with him and stronger with (Nathan) Ake and (Oscar) Bobb and Kevin (De Bruyne), but that is what it is," Guardiola said, rattling off his list of injured players. "We don't want it but it is football.
"As a club we have magnificent players and we will find a solution."
De Bruyne will sit out Saturday's game at Newcastle after he went off injured at halftime in their Champions League game against Inter Milan last week. Guardiola said the Belgian's injury is not a "big one".
Rodri is among numerous players and managers who have spoken out about the jam-packed game schedule.
He had said the optimal number of games per season in which a player can perform at the highest level was between 40 and 50. This season some players could play as many as 80 with the expanded Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup formats, alongside enlarged national team competitions.
He played in 63 games for City and Spain last season, and a hamstring injury suffered during Spain's Euro 2024 final victory over England in July sidelined him for the start of the Premier League campaign.
Asked whether Rodri's injury with Spain was linked to his ACL rupture, Guardiola said: "I am not a doctor. I don't know. Nobody knows.
"I have an opinion on that but the international team wanted to do the best for him. It is not absolutely related to the international team."