Pep Guardiola reveals Rodri could be back sooner than expected

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has not put a timeframe on Rodri's recovery from an ACL injury, but suggested he may return to the team quicker than first anticipated.

Rodri sustained the injury during the opening exchanges of Sunday's 2-2 draw with Arsenal, and multiple reports in recent days have declared that his season is over.

City have since confirmed Rodri has damaged his ACL without putting a timeframe on his return.

But speaking after City's 2-1 win at home to Watford in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, Guardiola claimed that there is still hope for a speedy recovery.

"Still we don't have the definitive (diagnosis) but he will be out for a long time, a while. But there are some opinions that maybe it will be less than we expected," Guardiola said prior to City's announcement.

"Unfortunately, he was injured, but right now I couldn't tell you. We are waiting for the last phone calls from him and the doctors for what definitely he has and the type of surgery he has to get.

"He's ok. He's strong, sad of course, and waiting for the final decision of what he has to do. We don't want it, but we will (still) have a good season."

Guardiola added: "I expect a lot from my players and I have a duty to find a solution - even if Rodri is irreplaceable. When a team doesn't play with the best midfielder in the world for a long, long time, it is a big blow.

"But it's football. It happens. And it is my duty to find a solution, be competitive as we have been for many, many years and be there, be a problem for our opponents.

"Yes, he's irreplaceable. But I will find a solution. There is an alternative, we will do it. When you have one player who is irreplaceable, as a team we have to find a solution. Last season, we were three months without Erling [Haaland], five months without Kevin (De Bruyne) and we found solutions."

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