Manchester City midfielder Rodri has reiterated his desire to return from injury before the end of this season.
The 28-year-old Ballon d'Or winner ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee during Man City's 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League in September.
After Rodri travelled to Spain to 'seek specialist consultation' and undergo further examinations, Pep Guardiola confirmed that the midfielder will miss the rest of the 2024-25 season.
Once undergoing surgery, it usually takes between six and nine months for athletes to recover from a torn ACL.
Despite that, Rodri revealed earlier this month that he has 'challenged himself' to participate in matches for Man City before the end of the current campaign, suggesting that a return for the newly-expanded FIFA Club World Cup in mid-July next year would be a target.
The Spain international has since provided a positive update on his recovery and has revealed that he is refusing to 'give up' in his quest to return before the season draws to a close.
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Rodri sets new target for Man City return after ACL injury
"My target is to come back this season," Rodri told Gary Lineker and Micah Richards on The Rest Is Football podcast.
"I think in terms of my mentality, it's going to be positive for me to not give up the season and throw it. I don't want to run. I don't want to make mistakes, but that's my mentality (to return this season).
"I don't know when (I will return). My target is six, seven months, but the physios, they will dictate."
Rodri added: "I am doing much better than I thought, to be honest. I am enjoying the rest, if it possible to say it that way.
"My feeling was, not like a crack, the knee was stable. I was confident [the injury] wasn't too bad, but I have a positive mentality now and that's it.
"The first month and a half was quite bad to be honest in terms of pain. I couldn't walk and it's been tough, but now it is easier."
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How are Man City coping without Rodri?
Man City initially coped reasonably well without the presence of Rodri and put together a seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions (W5 D2), but their form has since taken a significant nosedive.
Indeed, the Citizens lost five games in a row for the first time under Guardiola, and that winless run has since been extended to six matches after throwing away a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Man City are currently languishing in 15th place in the 36-team UCL table and two points behind the top eight with three games remaining, including two challenging away trips to Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.
The Citizens also sit second in the Premier League standings, but a run of three straight defeats in the division has seen them slip eight points behind leaders Liverpool, who welcome Guardiola's men to Anfield on Sunday.
Since the start of last season, Man City have won just 53.85% of matches without Rodri, winning 14, drawing three and losing nine out of 26 in all competitions, while they have conceded over 1.2 goals per game on average.
The Citizens boast a 74% win rate across 53 matches with Rodri in the side since the summer of 2023, and have significantly lost just once during this run (W39 D13), while they have conceded an average of only 0.9 goals per game.
While Rodri continues his recovery from injury, Man City have been tipped to enter the January transfer market to sign at least one new midfielder, with Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi, Atalanta BC's Ederson and AC Milan's Tijjani Reijnders believed to be among their list of targets.
Oliver Thomas
