Chelsea have been handed a huge boost following reports that a key player for Manchester City will not be available for their Premier League opener on Sunday.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has announced that star midfielder Rodri would miss Sunday clash with the Blues.
Rodri is one of the favourites to win the 2024 ballon d’Or award, and has been a key figure for City in recent years. Last season, the Cityzens remained unbeaten in every league match he played.
Guardiola has now confirmed that the 28-year-old Spanish midfielder will miss the match against Chelsea, which can be seen as an advantage for Enzo Maresca’s team.
Speaking in his first pre-match presser, Guardiola provided an update on his team’s fitness.
He clarified that although players like Walker, Stones, and Foden, who went deep into the European Championships for England, have only trained a few times with the team, he still thinks they are fit enough to play.
What Pep Guardiola said
“I don’t know… Just two or three training sessions. They arrived fit, in good shape. Today, in the professional world, the players take care of themselves even on holidays,” he said, according to City Xtra on X.
“We’ll see; today, tomorrow, and Sunday, we’ll see the line-up. I’m pretty sure they’re ready—maybe not for 90 minutes, maybe yes, or maybe for a few minutes. What’s important is everybody is back,” he added.
But for Rodri, the Spanish manager ruled him out, stating the midfielder is yet to take part in any training session.
“He had zero training sessions with us, he’s not ready.”
Chelsea host City on Sunday, August 18, in their first Premier League game of the season and will be looking take advantage of the absence of their opponent’s most important player.
