LONDON: Manchester City are set to be without injured midfielder Rodri for “a long time”, says manager Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola said the club are still waiting for doctors to confirm the severity of the knee injury suffered by the Spain international, and expect to find out by Wednesday.

“Still we don’t have the definitive [diagnosis] but he will be out for a long time – a while,” Guardiola said after City’s 2-1 League Cup win over Watford. “But there are some opinions that maybe it will be less than we expected.”

Rodri was substituted in the 21st minute during City’s 2-2 Premier League draw against Arsenal on Sunday after injuring his right knee. The 28-year-old appeared to twist the joint in a collision with Arsenal’s Thomas Partey at a corner.

Rodri travelled to Spain on Monday for initial tests but further tests were required to discover the extent of the problem.

Guardiola said: “We are waiting for the last phone calls from him and the doctors for what definitely he has and the type of surgery he has to get. We expect that tonight, tomorrow we will know exactly.”

Rodri, player of the tournament at Euro 2024 as he helped Spain lift the trophy, played a key role in helping City win a fourth consecutive Premier League title last season.

He has lost only one match for club or country in the past 18 months, also winning the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup with City last season.

Since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2019, City have lost only 11pc of the matches in which Rodri has featured, compared with 24pc without the Spaniard.

“When a team doesn’t play with the best midfielder in the world for a long, long time, it is a big blow,” said Guardiola. “Yes, he’s irreplaceable. But I will find a solution. There is an alternative, we will do it. When you have one player who is irreplaceable, as a team we have to find a solution.”

Rodri played 63 times for City and Spain last season, and after missing the start of this campaign with a hamstring injury returned against Brentford two weeks ago.

######