Pep Guardiola has confirmed midfielder Rodri missed Manchester City’s resounding 5-1 win over Burnley due to having pain in his knee.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner suffered an ACL tear in September 2024 in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal which ruled him out for almost the entire rest of the season.

He has since had further setbacks which saw him miss City’s 4-0 Premier League opening win over Wolves, while he played only 15 minutes in the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham.

The Spain midfielder appeared to be returning to full fitness after starting three games in a week against Manchester United, Napoli and Arsenal but Guardiola confirmed Rodri was not named in the squad for the romp of Burnley due to pain in his knee again.

“Rodri was training and said, ‘I’m not able to play. I have a lot of pain in my knee. I cannot play, I cannot play.’ And I said, ‘if you cannot play, you cannot play’,” Guardiola said.

– Grealish on Man City exit: Partying didn’t help, but not the reason
– Guardiola hails Doku’s improvement after Man City win: ‘Wow!’
– Man City close to agreeing new deal for Savinho – sources

Nico González started in place of Rodri at the Etihad on Saturday, as City rose to seventh in the table thanks to two Maxime Estève own goals, an Erling Haaland brace and a goal from Matheus Nunes.

Rico Lewis covered the defensive midfield role in the 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Huddersfield.

City face Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday and Guardiola could not say whether Rodri would be fit for the clash with the Ligue 1 side. “I don’t know yet, I don’t know [about Rodri’s fitness],” Guardiola said.

Struggling Manchester United could be set for a change of manager, with Xavi, Gareth Southgate, Oliver Glasner, Fabian Hurzeler and Andoni Iraola all linked to replace Ruben Amorim, while Saudi Pro League clubs are once again targeting Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

Transfers homepage | Done deals | Men’s grades | Women’s grades

TOP STORIES

– Amorim “not concerned” over Man United future
– Sources: Man City close to agreeing to new deal for Savinho
– Sergio Busquets announces he’ll retire after MLS season

TRENDING RUMORS

– Former Barcelona manager Xavi would be interested in joining Manchester United if they choose to replace beleaguered boss Ruben Amorim, says Fabrizio Romano. United’s minority owner Jim Ratcliffe is considering a change as Amorim has returned just 33 points from his 34 games in charge and is facing fresh pressure following United’s 3-1 defeat to Brentford on Saturday. TalkSPORT claims that United are in contact with former England boss Gareth Southgate and are also monitoring Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner and Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, while The Sun adds Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler to the list. Amorim has previously stated that he won’t leave United of his own accord, which means United could face having to part with £12 million to relieve him of his duties.

– Saudi Pro League clubs are once again targeting Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva in the hopes of persuading the 31-year-old to head to the Middle East on a four-year deal, according to TalkSPORT. The Portugal international, who has started four of City’s six Premier League matches this season, made it clear he wasn’t prepared to leave Manchester in the year leading up to the 2026 World Cup when he refused a £700,000-a-week contract at Al Hilal earlier this summer. However, Al Ahli and Al Qadsiah are both interested in bringing the midfielder to Saudi next year, with Al Nassr also contemplating a move if they fail to land preferred target Bruno Fernandes from Manchester United.

– Newcastle United are planning to offer midfielder Bruno Guimarães a new contract in the hope they can fend off interest from Manchester City, who in turn may turn their attentions to Paris Saint-Germain‘s João Neves, according to Football Insider. Newcastle are determined to keep hold of the 27-year-old Brazilian after having lost striker Alexander Isak to Liverpool in the summer, and so will look to extend his deal beyond 2028. City made a formal approach to sign Guimaeres in the summer but City boss Pep Guardiola will now target Neves as he looks to strengthen his midfield options next season.

– Manchester United and Chelsea are both eyeing a move for Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic after the Italian club suggested he could be available in the January transfer window, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The Serbia international has been looking to leave since new contract talks turned sour last season, and the Bianconeri are now hoping to recoup a fee in January before his deal runs out at the end of the season. Vlahovic, 25, is available to sign a pre-contract agreement with any non-Italian club from January.

EXPERT TAKE

play

Are Spurs still ‘finding their identity’ under Thomas Frank?

Craig Burley reacts to Tottenham’s last-minute draw vs. Wolves in the Premier League.

OTHER RUMORS

– Manchester City are mulling over a move for Bayern Munich’s 22-year-old midfielder Aleksander Pavlovic. City boss Pep Guardiola sees the German as a long-term successor for Rodri. (Caught Offside)

– Arsenal are scouting Real Betis midfielder Pablo Garcia, Hoffenheim defender Bazoumana Toure, and Eintracht Frankfurt winger Bahoya. (GMS)

– Inter Milan are hoping to make defender Manuel Akanji‘s loan move from Manchester City a permanent one in the summer of 2026. Inter have been extremely pleased with the 30 year old and have set aside €15m to secure the deal. (Fabrizio Romano)

– AC Milan have started talks with Fikayo Tomori’s representatives over a contract extension. The 27 year old is already tied to the club until 2027, but the Rossoneri are happy with the center back’s form and want him to commit his future to the Serie A league leaders. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Liverpool and Everton are among the clubs tracking Genk’s 17-year-old attacking midfielder Konstantinos Karetsas. Newcastle United, Sunderland and Bournemouth are also eyeing plotting a potential £20m move in January. (Ekrem Konur)

– Flamengo forward Wallace Yan is a target for Crystal Palace, Wolves, Napoli and Monaco. The 20 year old has a release clause of €60m, but it’s believed a lower fee could be negotiated. (Ekrem Konur)

– Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar has been one of the star performers in Serie A this season, and the Giallorossi are looking to tie him down to a longer contract to prevent advances from the Premier League. The 26 year old has been offered a new deal until 2030 worth €40m a season. (Calciomercato)

Pakistani boxer Sameer Khan made history in Bangkok by claiming the Youth World Bantamweight Title, by knocking out his Indian rival.

In a thrilling bout held in the 52kg category, Sameer Khan dominated from the word go, overpowering his Indian rival Bunty Singh.

The fight ended in a knockout victory for Sameer Khan, with the referees giving a unanimous decision in his favour.

Sameer Khan’s performance was not only commanding in the ring but also psychological.

His signature “Jet Celebration” appeared to rattle the confidence of his opponent and drew loud cheers from the crowd.

Following his historic win, Sameer Khan expressed heartfelt gratitude, saying: “I sincerely thank all Pakistanis who supported me and kept me in their prayers.”

He went on to dedicate the victory to the Pakistan Army and the martyrs of the armed forces, calling the win not just a personal achievement but a moment of pride for the entire nation.

Sameer Khan’s triumph has placed Pakistan firmly on the global boxing map and inspired a new generation of athletes back home.