Manchester City boast plenty of world-class stars but Rodri is arguably the irreplaceable cog in Pep Guardiola’s machine

Pep Guardiola talks to his players (Image: 2023 Chris Bruns𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁/Fantasista)

It was hardly a surprise when Rodri was announced Manchester City’s Player of the Month for August.

Fresh from his Champions League final goal that finally saw City claim European club football’s biggest prize, the Spaniard has started the season superbly, proving his Istanbul strike was a sign of things to come. Two goals in the opening three Premier League games mean he has already matched last season’s haul.

The midfielder struggled to adapt in his first season at the Etihad but has become arguably the most important player in Pep Guardiola’s side. While the brilliant Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland take the plaudits, City find a way got get by without them – it’s unclear whether the same could be said of Rodri.

The former Atletico Madrid man was named the Player of the Tournament in last season’s victorious Champions League campaign, further highlighting his value to City as they secured the prize they coveted most.

With 56 appearances last season for City, no other players was turned to more by Guardiola than Rodri. That’s an incredible number of games to play over the course of a season, but this season will see a new challenge thrown at Guardiola.

City are set to take part in the Club World Cup in December, meaning there will be further games added to City’s already hectic fixture schedule.

Of course, the mid-season 2022 World Cup saw Rodri travel to Qatar with Spain last term, meaning there were fixtures added to his calendar last year as well, but the same applies this season with Spain expected to qualify for the 2024 European Championship and so roughly the same number of international games will be played, only they’ll happen at the end of the season as opposed to in the the middle of it.

All that means Rodri could be set to play an unprecedented number of matches this term, and that’s something Guardiola will need to be mindful of.

If the City boss wants his most important player to be at his best when he needs him most, he will need to box clever when choosing when he plays. Early on in the season is fine, but when the Club World Cup arrives and City are forced to cram in even more Premier League fixtures upon their return following their break from domestic football, Rodri may need to watch on from the sidelines.

Not starting your most important player is always a risk, but it may be a risk worth taking if Rodri is to be at his best at the end of the season.