Rodri on his recovery: The award has been like a bottle of oxygen for me

The Man City midfielder is recovering from an ACL injury.

As he looks to make a comeback this season, Manchester City midfielder Rodri maintains that his Ballon d’Or victory is as good as a “bottle of oxygen” in his injury recovery.

Due to an ACL injury that has kept him out of action, Rodri has had to watch his team City remain winless in all six of their recent games, starting their worst run under Pep Guardiola. The Spain international, however, says his Ballon d’Or victory has only motivated him as the player hopes to make a spectacular return before the season ends.

The Brazilian’s teammates and supporters reacted negatively after Rodri defeated Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior for the most coveted individual football honour. However, as he tries to find his way back onto the field, the defensive midfielder maintains that his prize is a “bottle of oxygen”.

Rodri told FourFourTwo: “Everything seems to be going well with my rehab. It’s been good to spend time with my family here. The energy they give me is important, and a long time had passed since I was back at home. Because of my injury, the award has been like a bottle of oxygen for me.”

Regarding his return, he added: “I want to come back this season, that would be important for me. I don’t know if I can, but I’d like to be involved for a month or two and finish the season.”

Rodri’s absence has certainly affected City’s performance this season as they are currently six matches without a win. If this persists the club might have to make a big decision on Pep Guardiola’s future.

Next up for City is a matchup with Liverpool that could prove to be crucial to their hopes of winning the championship. The Reds would pass the defending champions at the top by 11 points if they won.

Cityzens are fourth in the table and will hope to reduce the gap with the side who are first, and a win could also see them gain confidence they have lost since the start of their winless run.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.