Pep Guardiola revealed before Manchester City beat Palermo 3-nil that Rodri will need time to work his way back to full fitness. Guardiola told the media that Rodri likely won’t be fully fit until

It has often been forgotten over the past two seasons just how good John Stones is as a player when fit. At his best, the injury-prone centre-back is a vital player for Manchester City. The problem

Without Rodri, City struggled to defend transitions last season, while their ball progression suffered. They had no direct replacement for the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, with Ilkay Gundogan, Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, and January signing Nico Gonzalez deputising for him without much success.