Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, confirmed in a press conference that Rodrigo Hernández will be sidelined for "a long, long time" due to the injury he sustained over the weekend against Arsenal.

The Spanish midfielder left the pitch in the first half after a bad movement in his right knee. While the final diagnosis hasn’t been made public yet—since Rodri has seen several specialists in Barcelona and Madrid—it’s looking like a torn ACL, which could keep him out for the rest of the season.

"We don’t know the definitive diagnosis, but he will be out for a long time. Some opinions suggest it may not be as bad, but unfortunately, he is injured. I don’t know for how long, as we’re still waiting for the final calls from the doctors and what surgery he will need," said the Spanish coach after eliminating Watford in the League Cup.

"We didn’t want this, but we can still have a good season. I trust my players, and I have to find a solution. Rodri is irreplaceable, and the team will play without the best midfielder in the world for a long, long time. It’s a big blow for us, but this is football, and my job is to find a solution," Guardiola added.

Given the prospect of him being out for several months, the City can look at the early stages of this season with a bit of optimism. Without Rodri, who got injured in the Euro final, City won the Community Shield against United and their three Premier League matches against Chelsea, Ipswich Town, and West Ham United.