Guardiola hints that Rodri will make swift Man City return

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner was instrumental to City’s critical 2-1 win over title rivals Arsenal on Sunday before being forced off late on with a groin problem.

Rodri, 29, is unlikely to feature as City aim to go top of the table for the first time this year at Turf Moor.

But City then have 12 days until their next league game at Everton as they face Southampton in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final.

“I think for tomorrow he will not be ready,” Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday. “We’ll see for next games, the  semi-final against Southampton or against Everton.”

Rodri’s return to form after an injury-disrupted 18 months has played a major role in City’s surge back into the title race as he has formed a dominant midfield partnership alongside Bernardo Silva.

“Both are experienced, they have a huge special personality,” added Guardiola.

“They are not young guys anymore, experienced guys, but played a lot of this type of games and know how it must be played. They were exceptional.”

Even if City win to condemn Burnley to relegation, they will still only be level on points with Arsenal with five games to go.

Momentum is with Guardiola’s men, but he is wary of a tougher run-in for his side which includes visits to Everton and Bournemouth, who are both in the running to qualify for Europe next season.

“Both teams know we cannot lose or drop points,” said Guardiola, who is aiming to win a seventh league title in nine seasons.

“It will be difficult to recover and our calendar is so demanding. The opponents are really tough.”