Manchester City are set to welcome back key midfielder Rodri as they prepare to face Sunderland on New Year's Day. Manager Pep Guardiola has expressed his delight at the Spaniard's return, highlighting Rodri's importance to the team. Rodri was recovering from a hamstring injury.
Guardiola stated on Wednesday that Rodri might play for a few minutes in the game against Sunderland. He emphasized how desperately the team needs Rodri back in action. Rodri had been an unused substitute in the previous Premier League match against Nottingham Forest, a game they won.
Rodri's return comes at a crucial time for Manchester City, who are currently vying for the Premier League title. City is in second place in the Premier League, five points behind Arsenal, though they have a game in hand. Guardiola's team has been in impressive form, securing eight consecutive wins in all competitions.
Guardiola has also lauded his team's resilience and performance throughout 2025. Despite not winning any trophies, Manchester City had the best points-per-game ratio in the Premier League in 2025. Guardiola expressed immense pride in how the club handled difficult situations last season, considering it one of their best seasons as a team. Reflecting on the previous season, Guardiola said he is "prouder than ever about what we have done as a club, how we handled the bad, bad situations".
In addition to Rodri, winger Jeremy Doku may also feature in the game against Sunderland, having recovered from a leg injury. However, John Stones and Oscar Bobb are still unavailable due to injury. Guardiola acknowledged that the team is not currently at its best in terms of squad depth due to several injuries and players being at the Africa Cup of Nations. Rayan Ait-Nouri and Omar Marmoush are at the Africa Cup of Nations. Mateo Kovacic is also injured.
Looking ahead, Manchester City faces a packed schedule with 10 games in 32 days across four competitions. Guardiola acknowledged the challenges of the schedule, particularly with games against Chelsea and Brighton.
The City manager also commented on potential transfer activity in January. While reports have linked Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo with a move to City, Guardiola remained tight-lipped on the subject. He also declined to comment on rumors of Oscar Bobb potentially leaving on loan.
