Manchester City midfielder Rodri has returned to training as he continues his long road back from a serious knee injury.
The Spain international has been out of action since sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in September’s Premier League clash with Arsenal.
Rodri’s absence has been one of the key factors in a difficult campaign for Man City in which they relinquished their four-year hold over the Premier League title.
However, the Citizens have started to discover their best form in recent weeks, having won six of their previous seven matches, including a 2-0 win in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
Rodri makes training return
The returning feel-good factor would have only grown stronger following the positive news that Rodri has made his comeback to training.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner was seen working on the pitch with a ball at his feet in Wednesday’s open training session.
According to Sky Sports News, Rodri has been ‘slowly integrating’ his way back into training in recent times, as he continues to make progress in his rehabilitation process.
There is still no timeline for Rodri’s return to competitive action, although it may not recover in time to feature in the closing stages of the domestic season.
The Spaniard could view this summer’s Club World Cup as a more realistic target, with Man City set to begin their campaign on June 18 against Moroccan side Wydad AC.
Haaland joins Rodri in training return
Man City have been handed another injury boost after star striker Erling Haaland joined Rodri in making his return to training.
The Norwegian forward has sat out the last five competitive matches since he picked up an ankle injury in the FA Cup quarter-final win over Bournemouth last month.
Guardiola should provide an update on Haaland’s recovery timeline when he speaks to the media on Thursday ahead of Friday’s Premier League home meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Unfortunately for the Citizens, the defensive duo of Nathan Ake and John Stones remain on the sidelines due to foot and thigh injuries respectively.
