City have confirmed Rodri will undergo surgery on a back injury, with no timeline yet set for his return — a fresh setback that could reshape the picture around his future at the club.
The Spain captain won the Golden Ball after starring in all eight matches during his country’s World Cup triumph this summer, but arrives back at City off the back of an injury-hit domestic season. He now faces another spell on the sidelines, per The Athletic’s Sam Lee and Guillermo Rai.
The issue is understood to be less severe than it first sounds. Spanish outlet La Razón reported before the surgery was confirmed that the discomfort is minor and resolvable through a short outpatient procedure, rather than anything requiring lengthy rehabilitation.
Even so, the timing complicates matters. As ReadManCity reported earlier, Real Madrid’s interest in signing Rodri had already cooled at boardroom level, with Florentino Pérez unconvinced and Cadena Ser reporting no realistic prospect of a move under current circumstances. A player heading into surgery, with fitness now a fresh question mark, is unlikely to make Madrid’s calculus any easier.
It may work the other way for City. Enzo Maresca’s side head into pre-season already reshaping their midfield, with Mateo Kovačić and Nico González both possible departures following Bernardo Silva’s exit. Rodri sidelined again, even briefly, tightens City’s need to keep him rather than sell — regardless of what Real Madrid decide.
Renewal talks were expected to resume after the World Cup. Whether an operating table changes that calculation, for either club, remains to be seen.
