Manchester City will be looking to win a fifth straight Premier League title in 2024/25 – but Michael Brown has expressed his concerns about one of the most influential players at the Etihad.
Manchester City are all set for the new campaign, with Pep Guardiola now having all his players back.
Kyle Walker, John Stones, Phil Foden and Rodri all returned this week after their extended breaks following their involvement in the Euro 2024 final.
The quartet are unlikely to be involved for City against Chelsea on Sunday.
Rodri, as the final player to come back, is especially unlikely to feature – and Pep will no doubt be racking his brains about how best to cover his potential absence.
Ex-Citizen Michael Brown has been looking ahead to the new season, and Rodri is actually one of his biggest concerns at the moment.
Michael Brown says he is concerned about Rodri’s fitness for Man City
Photo by Michael Regan – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Rodri was named Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024 after a string of top performances en route to the final against England.
He was only able to last the first-half against the Three Lions, with injury forcing him off.
It is currently unclear where Rodri is up to regarding that injury, but his general level of fitness is also a talking point at the moment.
The Spaniard has played a huge amount of football over the last few years, and that is down to how good he is as a player, and also because City don’t really have a direct replacement for him.
In the eyes of former City midfielder Brown, Rodri’s current fitness levels should be a concern for Guardiola.
He told BBC Sport: “City have got to be careful about how they get through the first few weeks, because a lot of their players have not really had a pre-season.
“I am also a bit concerned about Rodri’s fitness, and they are better off waiting until everyone is ready rather than risking injuries. The Chelsea game on Sunday is going to be difficult because of that, but defeat would not be a disaster. Even if they started on -3 points, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.”
Rodri needs rotating more this season
Ideally, City will sign cover for Rodri in the next few weeks.
There is a danger that all this football will eventually catch up with him, and he could potentially do himself some long-term damage.
Pep can’t risk running him into the ground and so the club need to think about signing someone who can not only provide cover for £63 million man Rodri, but also a partner.
Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United has been linked this summer, and it was reported earlier this week that City feel the Brazilian still wants to join them. He would make a superb addition, as he also has the capacity to play a box-to-box role.