A stadium winced. A stadium held its breath. If such things are possible, anyway, because it seemed that way. Rodri was grounded, a yellow card brandished in the direction of Reece James, who had caught him. Relief engulfed the Etihad Stadium when, if gingerly, Rodri got to his feet.
His first start in almost three months did not come to an abrupt end. And yet, even as Manchester City were given hope by an excellent performance that the Ballon d’Or winner can be far more of a factor in the second half of the season than the first, they got an unwanted reminder that injuries can assume huge consequences.
A couple of minutes before Rodri escaped largely unhurt, Josko Gvardiol had hobbled off, his knee seemingly hurt. Half an hour later, it was Ruben Dias’ turn to depart. “Muscle,” reported Pep Guardiola. “I didn't speak to the doctor but if Ruben is out it's because he felt something.” That might mean a few weeks on the sidelines for Dias. The prognosis may be worse for Gvardiol. “It doesn't look good,” said Guardiola. A scan may offer some indication of how bad.
As with Rodri until his cruciate ligament injury in September 2024, there had been the temptation to deem Gvardiol indestructible. He was not merely City’s player of the season last year. He was also the one who played the most games: 55, 52 as a starter. This year, Dias ranks second only to Erling Haaland for Premier League starts and minutes.
The damage City sustained against Chelsea may have extended far beyond the loss of two points, courtesy of Enzo Fernandez’s injury-time equaliser. They can wonder if that would have happened had Dias and Gvardiol been the centre-backs, not the second-string double act of Abdukodir Khusanov and Nathan Ake.
The evidence may suggest not. City have begun 19 games with the pair this season, won 14 and lost only two (and in one of those, at Aston Villa, Gvardiol was playing left-back). They have started the last 10 Premier League matches together and arguably are the best duo in the division apart from the Arsenal pair of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
Then there is the knock-on effect. The converted midfielders Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly have got plenty of praise for their efforts as makeshift full-backs, but perhaps their attacking approach is only rendered possible by the quality and mobility of the men in the middle. And, as Rodri noted: “Injuries unbalance the team, every single time a player goes out [injured] but of course the team has to adjust.”
Plans can shift, too. Guardiola was asked if he will sign a centre-back in January. “I don't think so but we'll see what happens because I know Ruben is a big loss and Josko is a big loss,” he said.
And he had spent last January acquiring central defenders, in part because of injury. But the future of City’s defence were two he already had, in Dias and Gvardiol. Last spring he had seven centre-backs, a contingent that was trimmed to five by loaning out the callow Vitor Reis and the rather more experienced Manuel Akanji.
Of the remaining five, two are injured and two more, Ake and John Stones, injury prone. The Dutchman struggles to start consecutive games. The Englishman has only begun one league match since August. That only leaves Khusanov, who showed speed and strength in his duel with Liam Delap, is less green than he was on his traumatic debut against Chelsea almost a year ago but has still only begun nine Premier League matches.
Hindsight may suggest that allowing Akanji to go will prove a mistake. The Swiss is starting for Inter, top of Serie A. He was crucial in City’s treble-winning season. But he, Stones and Ake all entered their thirties within 14 months; keeping each would have risked a defence all ageing together. Yet the one to go was the fittest.
For now, City are left looking depleted, even if they are unlikely to get much sympathy. “We have a lot [of injuries],” said Guardiola. “John Stones is missing for I don't know how many months. Ruben now will be out, Josko will be out. Always we know with Nathan he cannot play regularly. It's the situation. Of course I have concerns. Have you seen the bench today? Four players from the academy and now we will have more.”
The returning figure could testify to the importance of fitness. “For me, it is a gift,” said Rodri. Because, for everything else that went wrong at City last season, arguably the single biggest reason why a bid for a fifth successive league title disappeared, amid a run of nine defeats in 12 games, was Rodri’s injury.
And now, as they seek to become champions again, the fear could be that history will repeat itself, that one of the defining moments will be the loss of Gvardiol, Dias or both.
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