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Pep Guardiola has addressed the mental health challenges facing Rodri as the Manchester City midfielder continues his recovery from a hamstring injury sustained during the club’s 1-0 victory at Brentford in early October, with the manager emphasising the psychological impact of extended injury layoffs.
Guardiola Addresses Rodri’s Mental Wellbeing During Latest Injury Setback
Rodri has been absent from action since suffering the hamstring pull at Brentford, marking the latest fitness issue in what has been the most challenging period of the 29-year-old’s career. The Ballon d’Or winner previously endured an ACL rupture against Arsenal in September 2024 that kept him sidelined until May 2025, when he returned as a substitute in Manchester City’s 3-1 victory over Bournemouth.
The Spanish midfielder made his first start in nearly a year during City’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton at the end of August and had returned to regular action in September, playing crucial roles in victories over Manchester United and Napoli. However, his progress was halted by the hamstring injury against Brentford, despite having trained with the first team at full capacity for over a month since the setback.
Guardiola offered a passionate response when questioned about Rodri’s mental state during his recovery period. “What will you do if you’re a football player or a journalist and during 18 months you cannot do your job? How would you feel? You want to write, you want inspiration in lectures, how good you are, and you cannot do it. How would you feel? You’d feel bad,” the City manager explained during a recent press conference.
The manager acknowledged that Rodri must remain mentally strong while also accepting the natural emotional challenges of injury recovery. “Yeah, of course, strong. He has to be strong and in some moments he’s sad. I would not be happy if he’s not sad. I’d not be happy if he’s not concerned about that,” Guardiola stated, emphasising the importance of taking measured steps to avoid further setbacks.
Guardiola stressed the long-term perspective for Rodri’s return, highlighting upcoming challenges including the World Cup and future seasons. “But now he has to be clean, say, ‘Okay, last step. I’m on the verge to come back. Don’t make one step further to make one thousand steps backwards’,” he added, with Manchester City preparing for their Champions League group-stage encounter against Real Madrid on Wednesday evening.
