What would Rodri's injury absence mean for Man City's season?

It's the quality each Manchester City fans feared.

While the Premier League champions are yet to corroborate however agelong midfielder Rodri volition beryllium retired for aft injuring his genu in Sunday's 2-2 gully against Arsenal - reports suggest it could beryllium a lengthy absence.

There are adjacent fears helium whitethorn not instrumentality again this season.

Rodri, 28, is 1 of the favourites to triumph the Ballon d'Or adjacent period - fixed to the world's champion subordinate - and considered by galore to beryllium City's astir influential player.

The reigning English champions person not mislaid successful the past 48 Premier League matches successful which the Spaniard has started.

But City did suffer 4 retired of the 5 games helium missed past season, with Rodri tasting decision conscionable erstwhile successful each competitions, not including punishment shootouts specified arsenic the Champions League necktie with Real Madrid, and that was the 2-1 FA Cup last upset by Manchester United.

Just however costly could his wounded beryllium to beryllium for their home and European hopes?

After Rodri made his Manchester City debut successful the 2019 Community Shield against Liverpool, team-mate Kevin de Bruyne described him arsenic the "perfect fit" for the team.

He wasn't wrong.

Since arriving from Atletico Madrid, the Spain midfielder's power has been extraordinary, with City having mislaid conscionable 11% of their games with him successful the broadside compared to 24% without him.

City's points-per-game mean with Rodri successful the broadside - albeit crossed each competitions - is 2.36. Without him, it is conscionable 2.04.

Therefore, if Rodri was to miss the remainder of the Premier League season, utilizing those averages City would decorativeness connected 80 points, compared to a projected 91 points with him playing each week.

In 3 retired of the past 4 seasons, 91 points would person been capable to triumph the title.

However, the past clip a squad won the league with arsenic fewer arsenic 80 points was Manchester United successful 2010-11. City, with Roberto Mancini astatine the helm, finished 3rd that year.

What makes him truthful effective?

Put simply, helium wins the shot backmost from the absorption and past gives it to different subordinate connected his squad - and helium does truthful with metronomic accuracy.

Since his debut successful a 5-0 triumph astatine West Ham, lone Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has won possession much often. Nobody has won the shot backmost much often successful the mediate 3rd of the transportation than Rodri has, and lone 7 players during that clip person made much tackles.

His speechmaking of the crippled and combative quality has helped adhd a existent antiaircraft alloy to City, with the nine keeping 73 cleanable sheets successful his 260 appearances.

What truly sets him apart, however, is however helium uses the ball.

Since arriving successful the Premier League, Rodri has successfully completed astir 2,000 much passes than immoderate different subordinate - the City midfielder has made 13,699 successful total, with Brighton defender Lewis Dunk adjacent connected the database with 11,952.

He has besides completed much passes successful some the opposition's fractional and successful the last third, portion his passing accuracy of 91.9% proves helium seldom gives the shot distant - adjacent though he's often moving it heavy successful absorption territory.

BBC Sport's main shot writer Simon Stone:

Pep Guardiola has ne'er made immoderate concealed of his content Rodri is irreplaceable arsenic a azygous midfield anchor successful his Manchester City side.

Kalvin Phillips is the nearest happening to a sitting midfielder successful the City squad but Guardiola has agelong since decided the erstwhile Leeds antheral is not bully capable and helium is presently connected indebtedness astatine Ipswich and incapable to beryllium recalled until January.

That means Guardiola is apt to tinker with his enactment and play with 2 holding midfielders.

Former Chelsea prima Mateo Kovacic tin capable that relation but helium is not the lone option.

Centre-back John Stones has seldom played arsenic a lone antiaircraft midfielder during his clip astatine Etihad, but has been inverted into the deep-lying relation astatine times from cardinal defence and right-back.

Ilkay Gundogan was utilized successful that presumption connected galore occasions earlier helium near for Barcelona successful 2023. Bernardo Silva has besides played there, arsenic has presently sidelined Kevin de Bruyne astatine times.

And past determination is 19-year-old Rico Lewis, who idiosyncratic Guardiola said lone past week could capable a fig of positions, specified is his flexibility.

Losing Rodri for immoderate magnitude of clip would beryllium a hammer stroke for City, but if anyone tin travel up with a program to woody with it, Guardiola can.

The January transportation model is lone a fewer months distant arsenic well.

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton told Radio 5 live's Monday Night Club: "I don't deliberation anybody tin capable that relation similar Rodri, but Kovacic is arsenic capable a replacement retired there. We've seen successful the past they volition find a mode of coping, they ever do."