Already this season, the absence of Rodri in some of City&aposs fixtures has proved difficult for Pep Guardiolas side, with the team struggling in his absence. The likes of Kalvin Phillips and Mateo Kovacic, despite being talented players have not been able to fill the void in his absence.
Rodri received a straight red card for violent conduct in Citys fixture against Nottingham Forest back in September, causing the player to receive a three-match suspension, missing games against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup, and Wolves and Arsenal in the Premier League.
With a squad depth as strong as City, many believed that the Blues would cope fine, however, they went on to lose all three, something that is unheard of under Pep Guardiola.
This posed the question as to whether Rodri is the most important player within Citys squad. Kevin De Bruyne has been absent for the majority of the season so far, but Julian Alvarez has stepped up as Citys star attacking midfielder this season, being one of the only players to start every Premier League game for the Blues this season, reinforcing the emphasis on squad depth by Guardiola.
After Rodri had served his suspension, City returned to winning ways in the Champions League against RB Leipzig, followed by a 2-1 win against Brighton, and then a 3-0 derby win against local rivals Manchester United, helping his team return to the top of the Premier League table.
Rodri is known to control the middle of the park for City, both offensively and defensively. Despite his lapse in concentration against Nottingham Forest, he has hardly put a foot wrong for the Premier League champions in the countless games he has appeared in.
