Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed that he is “excited” about the prospect of Rodri returning from injury before the end of the season.

The midfielder has been on the sidelines since damaging his anterior cruciate ligament against Arsenal in September, but Guardiola believes there is a chance of Rodri playing in April or May.

“The fans must know they’re not the only ones who are excited. It’s been five months or six months, and it could be after the international break. But we must take it one step at a time.

“We don’t have to make stupid decisions to come back weeks early. It’s good, but he’s still not close to coming back, I’d say, but he’s touching the ball today, in the locker room, making touches with the players. He feels confident, he feels happy.”

Which City games could the midfielder play in?

If there is a genuine chance of Rodri returning after the international break, the Spanish international could feature in matches against Leicester, Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Everton or Aston Villa next month.

More realistically, though, fixtures in May (such as the final two league games versus Bournemouth and Fulham) or the FIFA Club World Cup group fixtures in June are more likely dates for him to make his comeback.

A word of caution on Rodri’s return

ACLs can take 9 to 12 months to fully recover from, so the 28-year-old is definitely ahead of schedule based on the progress he is making.

However, as Guardiola says himself, there is no need to rush Rodri, and it is important that no mistakes are made in terms of his rehabilitation.

The worst possible outcome would be to see the Spaniard return too early and break down again, leading to another lengthy injury layoff. Watch Guardiola’s remarks in the press conference below:

Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here