Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Rodri and Phil Foden are fit and available for selection ahead of their Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur. The match is scheduled for Saturday at the Etihad Stadium.
Rodri and Foden both missed City's opening game of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers due to fitness concerns. City won the game 4-0. Foden was dealing with an ankle issue, while Rodri was recovering from an injury sustained at the FIFA Club World Cup. Rodri also missed a significant portion of last season due to an ACL injury.
Guardiola stated that Rodri and Foden were not ready for 90 minutes against Wolves because of a lack of training and rhythm, also noting that they did not travel to Palermo for a pre-season friendly for the same reason. However, both players have trained this week and are now deemed fit to face Tottenham. Guardiola said, "Rodri and Phil were out of the last game, but for just the reason why was lack of training and rhythm and they didn't travel to Palermo (for a pre-season friendly). They were not ready for 90 minutes against Wolves, but they are ready for tomorrow". He added, "Rodri and Phil [Foden] were not available for the last game, they were out but it was just because of a lack of training, they are ready for tomorrow".
Guardiola also provided updates on other players. Mateo Kovacic, Josko Gvardiol, and Savinho remain sidelined with injuries. Ederson is fit and available for selection after recovering from an illness that kept him out of the Wolves game. However, Guardiola is yet to decide whether Ederson will replace James Trafford in goal, who kept a clean sheet on his debut against Wolves. "We will decide tomorrow or tonight after dinner," Guardiola said regarding his choice of goalkeeper. "I am happy with him, the new players always bring a new energy and James brings his youth and desire to play for the club he grew up at. I said many times it was just his first game, we just have to be consistent and we have to better and improve".
Guardiola expressed his admiration for Rodri, calling him the "best player in the world". He emphasized the importance of Rodri's consistency and said, "I just want a consistent Rodri, that's all. I don't have any doubts about his potential, quality - still, so far, he's the best player in the world". Guardiola added, "In a few months, a new [Ballon d'Or winner] will be elected, but still he is. I don't have any doubts, just consistency; training, weeks, training, weeks, games, minutes, and after everything will be fine".
Rodri's importance to Manchester City is evident in their performance with and without him. Before their 4-0 victory over Wolves, City had a win rate of 73.2% with Rodri in the team, compared to 61.7% without him. They also scored more goals per game (2.5) and conceded fewer (0.8) when he played, compared to 2.2 goals scored and 1.0 conceded without him.
