Pep Guardiola gives exciting Rodri update as Man City star returns to training

Pep Guardiola has hinted that Rodri is “close” to a return after he was spotted in training.

The Spanish midfielder has been ruled out since picking up a serious knee injury against Arsenal in September. It was expected that he would be sidelined for the remainder of the campaign, while City added to their midfield options in January with the signing of Porto star Nico Gonzalez.

But Rodri could be in line for a return sooner rather than later. The Spanish midfielder has returned to individual training as he steps up his recovery.

And City boss Guardiola has suggested that he is potentially closing in on a return to contention. Speaking ahead of his side’s FA Cup victory against Plymouth, he said: "We can't go three days, three days three days, so many games.

“And of course we need fresh legs and players to come on the team. This is (the full squad) except Oscar Bobb and Rodri, that they are close both to come back and it is the first time we will have more or less the squad and I am pretty sure if the season had been more or less that way the circumstances would have been different.”

Despite Guardiola’s comments, it appears that there is some hesitation over returning too soon. Speaking in January, Guardiola asked for time for Rodri in order for him to make a complete recovery.

“He’s positive but I don’t know to be honest. An ACL is an ACL,” Guardiola said. “Always I believe in long injuries there’s a time you must respect because of the human body.

“The ACL is the ACL for every football player and every athlete so there is a time. The first month he was in Madrid all the time for the surgery there and then with the doctors and the physios.

“Now it’s lovely to have him here in the locker room. His voice and his presence of course it is important. When he wants to travel to special places, I said to all the injured players of course you can come and it’s nice to have him. Of course, it’s good

“[The] Most important [thing] for Rodri now is to recover well. You’re not a teenager anymore but still you have years to play. And it’s going to happen if you recover well.

“If you can back for one week, one month and [take a] step back for next season it’s not intelligent. 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.”