Nobody ever imagined that Manchester City would find themselves in this kind of crisis, a crisis that does not involve tactics, not referees, not VAR, not transfers, but something much deeper, something that touches the heart of the team, something that is shaking the entire club and affecting every match they play. It is the crisis of missing Rodri, the midfield engine, the heartbeat of the team, the man that carries Manchester City on his shoulders when everything collapses around them. Right now, Manchester City fans are crying, Pep Guardiola is confused, and even the Premier League is watching closely, because every week without Rodri looks like disaster waiting to happen. The worst part is that nobody knows when he will return, nobody knows when the pain will end, and that uncertainty is beginning to suffocate the whole squad.
When Rodri first went down at Brentford nearly three months ago, the whole stadium went silent for a few seconds, and people thought it was just a small knock. Rodri himself told reporters that the injury was not serious, that he just needed a little rest, and even the coaching staff believed him. They thought he would miss the international break and then come back ready and stronger. But football can be a liar sometimes. Weeks passed, games passed, and Manchester City started to realise something was wrong. The injury was not small, the recovery was not progressing the way they expected, and every time Rodri tried to step up his training levels, his hamstring refused to cooperate. A player known for being strong, for always playing, for never giving up, suddenly became a prisoner of his own body.
At first, Manchester City handled it with calmness. They survived a few matches, they rotated, they adapted, they tried other systems. But slowly, the cracks started showing. Whenever Rodri is absent, the balance of the team fades, the press is slower, the build-up becomes shaky, and the centre-backs become under pressure. Everyone has always known Rodri is important, but nobody realised he might be the most irreplaceable midfielder in Europe. Manchester City did not just lose a player to injury, they lost their rhythm, their leadership, their control, their midfield general. Guardiola has said it many times: “When Rodri plays, we play.” And now, without him, Manchester City are surviving game to game like a tired boxer in the last round.
Even though Rodri returned briefly in the final minutes of the Bournemouth match, it was only for a short spell of hope. Fans thought the nightmare was finally over. They believed their hero was back for good, and social media exploded with excitement. But that happiness did not last. Rodri never made the squad in the four matches that followed. Guardiola tried to hide the fear in his voice, but his face betrayed him. He was worried, maybe even scared, because the doctors could not give him a clear timeline. Every time Rodri increases intensity, the hamstring reacts. Every time they target a return date, it disappears like smoke. Guardiola confessed last month that Rodri needs time not only physically but mentally. The pain of setbacks was affecting him deeply, because he is a player who prefers to fight, not sit on the sidelines helplessly.
The fans began to ask questions. If Rodri was rushed too early? If the club underestimated the injury? If Guardiola should have rested him more during the season? Some pundits even suggested that Manchester City are paying the price for overworking him last season. But football is not about blame right now, because what the team needs is Rodri back. The worst moment came when journalists asked Guardiola when Rodri would return, and he simply replied that he did not know. Not “two weeks”, not “after Christmas”, not “before the Champions League resumes”. Just uncertainty. And that uncertainty hit the whole club like a thunderstorm.
City have tried to survive without him. Nico Gonzalez has started seven straight matches, trying to fill impossible shoes. He has tried his best, but the weight is too heavy. Mateo Kovacic, the player that was supposed to be second option in holding midfield, has been injured almost the whole season. That option disappeared before it began. Tijjani Reijnders is talented, but he is not Rodri. John Stones can play there in emergencies, but it limits his defensive role. Rico Lewis lacks the physical dominance for that position. It is like Guardiola keeps looking around the dressing room for someone who can become Rodri, but nobody can. Because there is only one Rodri.
Every match without him is emotional. When City win, it feels like survival instead of dominance. When City lose, the fans immediately say, “If Rodri was playing, this never happens.” Opponents are aware too. Teams that used to come to the Etihad scared are now coming with belief, because they know the walls protecting the City defence are not the same without the Spanish midfielder. The players feel it too. The defenders do not get the same protection. The midfield does not recycle the ball with the same confidence. The attackers do not get the ball as early and as accurate as before. The whole football chain collapsed because of one missing link.
The tension will only get worse because Rodri will definitely miss the midweek game against Fulham, and he might miss Sunderland at the weekend too. Every game without him is like walking through fire. The title race is tight, Liverpool are pushing, Arsenal are pushing, Manchester City cannot afford to drop more points. But Guardiola refuses to rush him. The club has suffered too many setbacks to take another risk. They want Rodri back permanently and strongly, not for a cameo and then another two months out. But waiting is painful, and every delay is heavy.
Inside the dressing room, his absence is felt beyond football. Rodri is not just a midfielder; he is one of the leaders, the calm voice in the storm. He controls tempo on the pitch and emotions off it. Younger players feel more secure when he is there. When he talks, the players listen. Without him, the atmosphere is different. You can see the stress on their faces, the pressure, the uncertainty. And Rodri himself is suffering emotionally, because he hates watching his team struggle without being able to help.
When Guardiola talks about him, his tone is full of sincerity and frustration at the same time. “He has to take the time to recover mentally and especially physically with the problems that he’s had, to be consistent from now until the end.” These were the words of a manager who knows that the key to fixing the season is not tactics or transfers, but patience — and patience is painful when everyone is desperate.
Manchester City fans have already experienced many dramatic football stories, but this one feels personal. This story is not about controversy, not about transfer rumours, not about club rivalry. It is the story of how much one player means to a team. It is the story of how even the strongest squad in the world can feel powerless when a crucial piece is missing. It is the story of waiting, hoping, praying that the return comes soon. The Rodri injury is not measured in weeks — it is measured in goals conceded, in dropped points, in lost confidence, in pressure on every player wearing the badge.
Nobody knows when Rodri will return, and that is the most painful part. He might be back soon, he might have setbacks again, nobody can predict. But one thing remains certain: when Rodri finally walks back onto the pitch, the stadium will shake with relief, and the whole squad will breathe again. The season might still be long, and Manchester City are not finished yet. But until the day Rodri returns, every match will feel like war, every victory will feel like escape, and every defeat will feel like the world is collapsing.
Right now, sadness surrounds the club, but hope refuses to die. Rodri will return one day, and when he does, Manchester City will rise again. Until then, the whole football world is watching, the Premier League title race is waiting, and the blue side of Manchester is holding its heart, living match by match, praying for the comeback of the man who makes everything work.
