Rodri Remains Sidelined for Manchester City’s Clashes with Villarreal and Aston Villa

Key Takeaways:

• Rodri has been ruled out of Manchester City’s upcoming fixtures against Villarreal and Aston Villa this week due to a thigh injury
• The Spanish midfielder sustained the injury during the match against Brentford on 5 October and missed both Spain’s World Cup qualifiers and City’s recent clash with Everton
• Manchester City, who have secured four points from their opening two Champions League games, will travel to Villarreal tomorrow

Rodri’s Injury Setback

Manchester City’s midfield linchpin, Rodri, will be absent from this week’s encounters with Villarreal and Aston Villa as he continues to recover from a thigh injury that has hindered him in recent weeks. Manager Pep Guardiola confirmed that the 29-year-old Spaniard, who was largely absent throughout last season due to a significant knee injury, picked up his latest issue in the fixture against Brentford on 5 October. This setback has already caused him to miss Spain’s World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria, as well as City’s most recent Premier League outing versus Everton.

🚨 UPDATE: Rodri is RULED OUT against Villarreal and Aston Villa with an ongoing muscular injury. 🤕🚫

🗣️ Pep Guardiola: "Villarreal I don’t think so and Aston Villa I don’t think so neither. It’s not long but it’s muscular and we have to be careful."

Get well soon, Rodri! 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/Unw8e3gkVx

— Man City Fever (@mancityfever2) October 20, 2025

Guardiola’s Update

Asked by British media whether Rodri will be part of the team in the coming matches, Guardiola replied: “Villarreal I don’t think so and Aston Villa I don’t think so neither. It’s not long but it’s muscular and we have to be careful”.

Champions League Context

The Citizens have made a solid start to their Champions League campaign, amassing four points from their first two group stage matches. They are set to face Villarreal away tomorrow as they look to continue their positive European form.