Pep Guardiola unsure when Rodri will return to best at Man City after ACL injury

By Ian Parker, PA, Monaco

Pep Guardiola admitted he did not know when Rodri would be back to his best as he managed his return from the knee injury that cost him most of last season.

Rodri sat out City’s 5-1 win over Burnley on Saturday after feeling pain in the knee in which he tore his anterior cruciate ligament early last season, but travelled to Monaco for Wednesday’s Champions League clash.

“He feels much better than before Burnley,” Guardiola said. “He was injured for a long time. Day by day, how does he feel? Today he feels a little bit better so we will see.”

The Spain midfielder first returned at the Club World Cup in the summer but suffered an injury setback during that tournament.

Guardiola said this was a different situation but one that must be carefully handled.

“Now he is not injured but in the tendon, he has a difficultly,” he said. “The week before was so demanding with (Manchester) United, Napoli and especially Arsenal and right now he’s not able to play three games in a week at a top level – top intensity, demanding opponents.

“My feeling right now is he is not ready because he needs time. This type of injury, it is minimum one year and after that you start.”

Wednesday’s match will see Bernardo Silva back at the club he left for City in a £43.5million deal in 2017.

Pep Guardiola promoted the Portugal international to club captain following the departures of Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne, and Silva could yet follow them in leaving while in possession of the armband, with the 31-year-old in the final months of his contract.

“I know exactly what I’m going to do but it’s not the time to focus on it,” Silva said. “It’s to do my best, to put the club back to where it belongs.

“We’ve had a lot of captains who’ve left but it’s for the guys who have the most experience to pass it on to the young guys.”

Back in 2019, former City skipper Vincent Kompany revealed he had told Silva he was “50 per cent clown, 50 per cent leader”, saying that when he became 75 per cent leader he would be captain.

“Vincent actually sent me that quote when Pep appointed me captain!” Silva said. “He said ‘I knew I was right all along’. It is a big honour and responsibility…

“Manchester City was so successful in the last eight years not because one captain was really good but because we have a group of great leaders.

“As the first captain you have to make sure some things don’t happen – to create that environment but what we’ve seen is a group of great characters.

“My job now is to try to create that energy, that chemistry as a group of captains – me, Ruben (Dias), Rodri, Erling (Haaland) – so people behave in the right way.”

Monaco are struggling with a lengthy absentee list that includes former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, who is yet to play for the club having signed in June once a four-year doping ban was reduced to 18 months following an appeal.

“We are following his plan,” coach Adi Hutter said. “Paul was on the pitch, but at the moment he’s doing more of the warming-up and also in small-sided games he’s a joker.

“He’s increasing a lot and I hope after the international break he can be part of the squad.”