Pep Guardiola has praised injured midfielder Rodri for acting like a coach in Manchester City's run-in as they try to salvage their disastrous season.
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Spaniard giving advice to team-matesHe could yet return from injury before end of seasonCity aiming to reach third successive FA Cup finalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Spaniard was ruled out for the season when he tore his cruciate knee ligament against Arsenal in September but he has stepped up his recovery in recent weeks and was seen in the City dressing room before their crucial 2-1 win victory over Aston Villa on Tuesday, giving advice to his team-mates.
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"I love that. All the guys who can't play and are injured, I allow them to be a manager. The role of a holding midfielder, Rodri knows perfectly and he can help the guys there," Guardiola told a press conference. "It's the way that creates teams, the bond, something special, when the guys who can't play can help the guys who are playing. Everybody wants to enjoy next season being in Europe. If they believe it's just for the 11 players playing they are wrong. So I like it."
AFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Rodri, who became the first Manchester City player to win the Ballon d'Or last year, in has expressed his desire to return from injury before the end of the season and Guardiola admitted there was still a possibility of it happening but he stressed he would defer to the team's medical staff when deciding when to play him again. The coach explained: "I don’t know. Every training session he is doing with us, so he’s doing really well I would say. Rodri wants [to come back before the end of the season] but the doctors are going to tell me, ‘Pep, you have green lights to give him some minutes,’ or so on. I will rely on the doctors in that case."
DID YOU KNOW?
City face Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley on Sunday, their seventh successive last-four tie in the world's oldest cup competition. And they will be bidding to reach the final for the third successive time, having won the trophy against Manchester United in 2023 and then losing to their arch rivals in 2024.
