Manchester City requires a defensive midfielder this month. With Rodri out for the season, the choice made in the summer not to secure backup for him has been highlighted. City had faith in Mateo Kovacic and the returning Ilkay Gundogan to provide different alternatives, with John Stones, Manu Akanji, and Rico Lewis all capable of playing inverting roles. The challenge has been maintaining the fitness of those players, as injuries have taken a toll on the squad and highlighted any vulnerabilities, intensifying the dependence on Rodri. January provides an opportunity to bandage that significant hole shaped like a number six and attempt to regain some control in midfield. However, locating someone to replace Rodri or serve as a backup will be a challenging task. Particularly if City isn’t planning to target Martin Zubimendi or Bruno Guimaraes, they require immediate help to address the injury situation this season in a manner similar to Rodri, but they also need someone willing to be the backup for the Ballon d’Or winner next season. Perhaps that’s why they couldn’t find the right candidate during the summer. The search will be more difficult now. Therefore, it’s good to hear Rodri discussing next season and how his recovery is progressing. He has mentioned that he hopes to return before the end of the current season, but that seems both unrealistic and overly optimistic. Pep Guardiola has cautioned that Rodri might not come back as the same player, or it could take time for him to regain his form. Kevin De Bruyne missed a significant part of last season due to injuries and is facing ongoing concerns this season. Next summer’s pre-season will likely be shorter due to the Club World Cup, or there may not be a pre-season at all. However, Rodri and City’s medical team believe this won’t be a significant problem.
