Manchester City and Pep Guardiola are struggling with the injury of key midfielder Rodri. Not long after returning from injury, he collapsed after being hit by a rough tackle on his opponent, causing great concern.
Manchester City lifted the trophy with a 4-0 victory in the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup final against Fluminensee (Brazil) at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the 23rd (Korea time).
Manchester City became the first world champion in the club’s history after winning a pleasant victory against the Copa Libertadores winner of the CONMEBOL Champions League for the top of the world.
However, there were some dizzying scenes during the match. Key midfielder Rodri collapsed due to tough tackle from the opponent team, just after recovering from his injury.
Rodri, who started with Ricoh Lewis and was in charge of the midfield, was tackled by Alexandre and collapsed in the 23rd minute of the second half. Rodri, who complained of pain while holding his right knee, couldn’t easily wake up. Immediately, the team’s medical staff were deployed for treatment, but Rodri failed to play anymore and was replaced by Manuel Akanji.
Manchester City and Guardiola are deeply troubled. Rodri has been undefeated in 14 league matches he played this season, but lost all four of his matches, which is why he is playing a key role in Manchester City’s soccer.
Speaking at a press conference after the game, Guardiola said, “I’m afraid. I think we’ll have to see how Rodri is tomorrow,” hoping that Rodri’s injury would not be serious.
“Guardiola admitted that he was afraid of Rodri’s injury,” the global sports media The Athletic said. “Manchester City is also anxiously waiting for Rodri’s checkup result. Manchester City has become the best team in the world, but it may have to pay the price. When a key player suffered a painful injury, both the coach and the club must have suffered considerable agony.”
For now, Rodri said he was not seriously injured. “I was really lucky today. It was one of the worst tackles in my career,” Rodri said. “I felt pain in my knee, so I was really scared. Fortunately, I am fine now. I told the tackle that I should not do this.”
Rodri won the Golden Ball, the Most Valuable Player award of the tournament. Rodri responded, “I gained more than a trophy. I went home safely, but I almost cried. I was worried a lot, but fortunately, I am fine. It was a dangerous tackle and I had some pain, but I don’t think I was affected much,” he said, expressing relief that he was able to avoid injury.
The Athletic said, “The signs are positive. The team’s medical staff gave him a thumbs-up towards the bench after the treatment. There is hope that Rodri’s replacement would have been a simple precautionary measure. If Rodri were to be excluded, it would be a huge blow to Manchester City. As there is no player to replace Rodri, his importance will not disappear.” A positive test result could come out. 사설 토토사이트
Manchester City, the defending champion of the Premier League, has already lost three matches in the league this season, ranking fourth. It is five points behind Arsenal, the leader of the team. After playing in Saudi Arabia, Manchester City will return to England and leave for Everton on Friday. Three days later, it will play Sheffield United at home in its last match of the year.
Manchester City, which is in crisis due to concerns over the injury of a key midfielder in a tight schedule, is paying keen attention to Rodri’s condition.