With De Bruyne gone to Napoli and Kovačić injured, the news that they will also be without Rodri devastated me. Man City will definitely be lacking a defensive leader in the ranks, but someone will need to step up. Most likely, Tijjani Reijnders — he has the pedigree for it, but whether he’s suited to the Premier League remains to be seen.
Hoping for a quick recovery for Rodri — the first estimated return date for him is after the first international break.
He will return, he is just out for about another month, but he will be here for most of the season. The real question is, someone like him being out for this long, do we really believe that he is going to be ready?
I am guessing two issues, either he is going to be not ready at all and play badly for a while and may even re-injure himself trying to keep up. Or worse, he lost a step because of the injury and will never be the player he used to be (does happen to some people who had ACL injuries). This is why it makes sense for people to put some doubt on how he is going to return. Rodri was a great midfielder, and City will definitely miss him, but I am sensing that they are already working on a backup plan as we speak.
It’s always a bit worrying how a player will react after an ACL injury, but with Rodri, I’m confident that he’s mentally prepared to handle a major setback like that. You can't be a leader of a team if people don’t see that you’re mentally different—stronger.
Also, Manchester City has the best medical team money can buy, and I don’t think they would ever rush him back unless he’s truly 100% fit.