Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has fired a warning to City’s undroppable baller Rodrigo Hernàndez Cascante, better known as Rodri.
Speaking ahead of Manchester City’s Premier League match against Luton Town, Guardiola made it clear he will be ready to drop Rodri from his lineup if he doesn’t want to play.
“If a player doesn’t want to play, he’s not going to play. If he’s tired and feels exhausted, it can happen – another player is going to play.
“I will have to rest central defenders but we don’t have them. We cannot rest,” Guardiola said
Recall Rodri had insisted he needs rest after recording his 42nd appearance for Manchester City this season in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Real Madrid on April 9, 2024.
“Every one of us can do better, even myself, but we need to rest, to be honest
“I do. I do need a rest,” he said.
Rodri has racked up 3,490 minutes for Manchester City this season, as per Transfermarkt, and is 10th on the chart of players that have recorded the most minutes for their clubs in Europe’s top five leagues, as per MailOnline.
After the Real Madrid match, Rodri confirmed he will initiate talks to realise his temporary break from action but it appears such a plan is dead on arrival as things stand.
Pep Guardiola’s response to his call for rest is a clear statement the club will not be ready to pander to such demand.
Futballnews understands Manchester City have struggled to secure an understudy for Rodri and have relied heavily on the Spaniard in the defensive midfield.
Rodri extended his undefeated streak with Manchester City to 66 games after the Real Madrid UCL cracker and has earned widespread acclaim for his creativity and versatility as a DM. The 27-year-old rarely misses game for City, save suspension, and each time he does, it’s usually a challenge finding his replacement.
We reported earlier Manchester City are set to double his £180,000 weekly wages in a move to tie him down to Etihad with a new contract following his standout campaign with the club.
Away from the rave reviews the influential midfielder has earned, it appears the conversation will now shift from a new long-term deal with improved terms for the player to that of his future at the club should he and Pep Guardiola fail to find a middle ground on his call for a break.
Meanwhile, a poll by Manchester Evening News shows most Manchester City fans want Rodri to be rested in the Luton match ahead of the Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Real Madrid next week.
All fingers are now crossed on Guardiola’s lineup for the match to see whether Rodri will be dropped or not. However, it is worth asking whether Rodri wanted a one-match break or a lengthy layoff to regain himself. The matrix of the discussion will gradually unfold in the coming days as City navigate through their congested schedule of games in the days to follow.
