Top three Manchester City players who can replace Rodri in midfield

Rodri is set to be out for the entire season with an ACL injury.

Rodri’s injury against Arsenal is a serious setback for Manchester City as the star midfielder will be sidelined for a while.

The midfield player was replaced during the first half of the Premier League match between the two teams at the Etihad Stadium due to a ligament injury to his right knee.

Such an injury might keep the 28-year-old out of action for the remainder of the season, depriving Pep Guardiola of his main midfield weapon.

Rodri is a mainstay at the base of midfield for Manchester City, even though the manager frequently switches his positions. He also seldom misses the team’s biggest games.

But as he tries to replace the Spaniard, Guardiola does have a plethora of possibilities thanks to an expensively assembled squad:

3. Rico Lewis

A more daring way to replace Rodri would be to give young Rico Lewis, the full-back, a more central role. When utilized by Guardiola in the starting lineup, the 19-year-old frequently steps inside and operates as an inverted right-back, displaying composure in possession and a deft ball passer that has also earned him an international call-up. However, Lewis has enough experience of playing in the league but the concern is he isn’t as established as Rodri at the club.

2. Mateo Kovacic

While not a like-for-like replacement, Croatian midfielder Kovacic has the tactical control as well as expertise that Guardiola values in his deeper midfielders. He succeeded Rodri during the draw with Arsenal. After joining Manchester City in the summer of last year, the former player for Real Madrid and Chelsea appeared in 30 Premier League games, although just 16 of those were starts. If he were to take Rodri’s place, it might also signify a new role for him.

1. Ilkay Gundogan

After spending just one season at Barcelona, Gundogan was brought back to the team he used to captain, and Guardiola values his versatility in midfield. The Spanish manager has used Rodri and Kovacic as a deeper-lying duo because Rodri was given time to earn his spot back when he finally returned from injury this season. Guardiola is probably going to look back on their partnership and employ Gundogana and the Croatian midfielders as deep-lying in the middle of the pitch.

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