Guardiola confirms Rodri out for season with ACL injury ahead of Newcastle trip

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Guardiola confirms Rodri out for season with ACL injury ahead of Newcastle trip  27/09/2024  CFGA, Manchester, UK

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00:00Good afternoon, guys, hope you are well, same process as ever with mics on either side.

00:12Please embargo towards the middle of the press conference until 10.30 this evening.

00:19Start with Simon there, please.

00:22Hi Pep, could you just tell us if there's any update on Rodri and the extent of his injury, please?

00:30Got surgery this morning, ACL and some meniscus and things, so next season we'll be here.

00:40So you don't even think he'll be in July?

00:44This season is over.

00:46I mean, that's obviously the kind of worst news on Tuesday, you said it might not be as bad.

00:53Yeah, unfortunately got the worst, but it's what it is, in that level sometimes unfortunately happen.

01:00We are there to support him and good recovery step by step and move forward.

01:08Could I just ask you from a managerial perspective, you've said he's irreplaceable,

01:13but then it's your challenge to replace him and you've got numerous brilliant players to do that with.

01:20How do you go about thinking for games how you replace him?

01:26What components of the game go into your mind to work out what is the best way of covering?

01:32What he gives us, we don't have a similar player, but the other players all together can replace

01:43what Rodri has given since arriving to us.

01:51We have to do it as a team and we have to find a way to play during a lot of months

02:00without an important player for us, everybody knows it.

02:03And like all the teams want, a speedy recovery for next season, compete against them.

02:16Pep, is your team more able, do you think, now to cope without Rodri than maybe they've been in the past?

02:23With having Gundogan back, with having Kovacic as well, the other defenders of course who have inverted in their roles.

02:28Do you think your team now is more able to cope than maybe in the past?

02:31If we win, yes. If we don't win, it's because we miss Rodri.

02:40Do you have more confidence that you can cope?

02:44There's not one day in the last year that I was not confident.

02:48Of course we are stronger with him, we are stronger with Nathan Ake,

02:52there's no playing since the international break.

02:55We are stronger with Oscar Bob and all the injuries with Kevin and we know that, but it's what it is.

03:01We don't want it, but football happens and it's a pity because it's a long injury,

03:07and of course it's eight, nine months, and after it's not because in one month you have to be ready.

03:13And after that come the muscular injuries, you have to be careful because when you have an ACL injury

03:18in eight, nine months, the year after you have muscular problems for sure.

03:22So that's why it's longer. I think Rodri will become his best after not just eight, nine months,

03:30but it's what it is. As a club we have magnificent players and we'll find a solution and we'll see what happens.

03:39Can I ask about Kevin De Bruyne as well? You mentioned him there. Is he available this weekend?

03:44No.

03:45How long do you think he'll be missing for?

03:47I don't know. Before maybe international break or after international break, so we'll see.

03:57Hi, Pep. Last week you said that one of your main targets is to do better and create more chances

04:03against teams that play very deep with eight, nine players. How can you create space when there is no space?

04:12Being better in smaller spaces, but always I learn when you play against teams that defend so deep,

04:17always you create more chances that we concede. That doesn't mean you're going to win the game.

04:21No. That doesn't mean that we are going to do what we have to do. Maybe not.

04:27But for sure you create more chances than the opponent. At the end it's what we have to do as a team.

04:31At the end, how many shoots we have, how good the keeper was saved, that is the point.

04:39And after when transition, when they score a goal, they lose the game, it happens.

04:43But as a team we have to do more than the opponent. At the end the opponent has to say,

04:47I'll do more than the opponent today, this afternoon, yes or not? Yes? OK.

04:52This is what you have to do. But sometimes it happens, sometimes not.

04:55And always they have a knowing that it's difficult. It's difficult.

04:58So the last three games it was like that, so deep. OK.

05:02As much we play against that team, it happened in the past, as much we play and have the feeling

05:06we are doing better than in the past, as much we play in that type of game, we will improve.

05:11Is that a compliment to your team that so many behave that way against you?

05:16No, because it's not all the teams. It's not all the teams who want to do that.

05:20Sometimes it happens because we are good or sometimes because there are moments like that,

05:24there are not the moments. Always we defend, sometimes the other players in the box,

05:29because the opponent is better. But we try to do as little as possible.

05:33It just depends on the opponent. Challenges, we have to deal with it

05:37and have to adapt it and do it as much better as possible.

05:42Hi Pep. In terms of your team selection, obviously you were without Rodri at the start of this season

05:48and Rico Luis, for example, was moving into midfield to join Mateo.

05:53Is that, in your opinion, the strongest solution to the issue?

05:59It's one of them.

06:01Because it looked very impressive at the start of the season.

06:03Yeah, but it's one of them. They have a few more.

06:07Gundo can play in that position, Jon Stones and Manu have played in that position.

06:13So we have an alternative to do it.

06:16Rodri obviously got hurt playing for Spain in the summer. Was it the same knee?

06:22Is there any link between the injury he suffered here and the injury he suffered for Spain?

06:28I'm not a doctor. Not even a physio.

06:31Is it the same knee that he had issues with?

06:33I don't know. I don't know. I don't have to say, oh, you do this, happen that. Nobody knows.

06:42So nobody knows. I have an opinion on that, but absolutely the national team want to do the best from Rodri

06:50and in that moment didn't play nothing and went there and played and it was fine, came back and afterwards injured.

06:58So playing against Inter really good and the actions that happened in Arsenal.

07:02So of course it's not absolutely related for the fact that I went to the national team.

07:09Can I just ask finally, I think we should probably ask about Newcastle.

07:12What have you made of their start to the season under Eddie Howe?

07:16Obviously they've perhaps struggled in terms of performances, but the results have been okay.

07:21What do you make of their development? Because they're trying to close this gap, aren't they?

07:24The first I want to say, the first question against Newcastle, Alex said to me that the CEO from Alex announced

07:30that they have unfortunately a blood cancer.

07:33So we wish him health from Man City, all of us.

07:37The best of the recovery for him and I'm pretty sure we'll be the best doctors to take care of him

07:42and the best recovery for him and his family and hopefully he can go through.

07:51Because at the end this is the most important thing, be healthy.

07:55And Newcastle, Newcastle is always Newcastle.

07:58So since a few years Eddie was there and the team is one of the toughest, strongest opponents,

08:07home in a way, but a special way for the atmosphere in this marvellous stadium.

08:13And yeah, we are going ready to the battle.

08:20Hi Pep, with Rodri being out until next season, I know it's very early to talk about it,

08:26but will you have to look in the January window to maybe replace him or are you happy with the squad?

08:31We talked today with Chiqui, we'll see how it's going on.

08:35We'll have to decide tomorrow, right?

08:38The transfer deal is closed, like you said, in January,

08:41so we'll have time and see potential problems we have and after we'll see.

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