Manchester City confirmed on Wednesday that Rodrigo Hernández, the Spanish midfielder, suffered a serious injury to the cruciate ligament in his right knee during the match against Arsenal on Sunday. Rodri left the field in the first half after an awkward movement in his knee. After consulting several specialists in Spain, the club announced that they are evaluating the full extent of the injury and the prognosis. Pep Guardiola stated that, while the definitive diagnosis is still unknown, the player is expected to be out for a long time, which represents a significant blow to the team.

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Rodrigo Hernández's absence is so significant that it could derail the City’s season, as the team has suffered in the past whenever the Spanish midfielder has not been available. Last season, Rodri missed four Premier League matches, all of which the City lost. The unbeaten streak of 74 matches accumulated between February 2023 and May 2024 was broken in the FA Cup final, where City was defeated by Manchester United.

Without Rodri, City is a different team, and Pep Guardiola has never hidden this fact: "He is an irreplaceable player," he has stated on several occasions. Given the possibility that Rodri could be out for several months, City is looking at the start of the season with some optimism, as they managed to win the Community Shield against United and the three Premier League matches against Chelsea, Ipswich Town, and West Ham United without him.

Guardiola has opted for a double pivot with Rico Lewis and Mateo Kovacic when Rodri has not been available, with Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva playing ahead. However, the City squad lacks any other player with similar characteristics to Rodri; Kovacic, Lewis, Gündogan, and Matheus Nunes all have different profiles. The impact of his absence could be compared to that of central defender Virgil Van Dijk in the 2020-2021 season, when Liverpool went from champions to a third-place finish following the Dutchman's injury.

Injuries are not new for Guardiola, who has dealt with significant absences in the past, but the loss of Rodri, considered one of the best midfielders in the world, presents a significant challenge for the team this season.