World Cup winner Rodri undergoes back surgery, uncertainty at Manchester City

Rodri, one of Spain’s World Cup-winning stars, is out again. The Manchester City midfielder is set to undergo surgery on a back injury. However, the club has not yet given a specific date for when he will be able to return to action.

Rodri led Spain to their long-awaited World Cup triumph this summer, winning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. He started all eight matches as Spain won the title. It was a remarkable comeback for his career after suffering a series of injuries over the past two seasons. But the euphoria was soon followed by another setback.

The injury comes at a crucial time in his career, with just one year left on his Manchester City contract. According to The Athletic, Rodri has not yet given the green light to stay at City, although he is expected to hold talks with the club over a new deal after the World Cup.

The Ballon d’Or winner has long hinted at a return to his homeland. He himself has made no secret of his desire to play in Spain before retiring. However, despite reports that Spanish giants Real Madrid are interested in signing him, media reports say that Real are not planning to sign Rodri for now.

Rodri has been struggling to regain his best form since suffering an ACL injury in September 2024. The injury sidelined him for most of the 2024-25 season. He was then plagued by hamstring and groin injuries last season. As a result, he only played 33 games in all competitions, starting just 17 of them in the Premier League.
However, Rodri was the lifeblood of the City team before his injury. He was instrumental in City’s historic treble win in the 2022-23 season. The Spanish star scored the only goal in City’s 1-0 Champions League win over Inter Milan. In total, he played 56 games for the club that season.

While Rodri’s new injury is a major concern for City, Guardiola’s side have bolstered their midfield with the £116m signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest in the current transfer window. However, the futures of Mateo Kovacic and Nico Gonzalez are also in doubt after Bernardo Silva left the Etihad.

Manchester City are set to kick off the new Premier League season with a match against Bournemouth on August 23. However, there remains great uncertainty as to whether one of the team’s most reliable strikers will be seen in the opening match of the season.