Disappointing prognosis! The serious injury that Rodri could have suffered in City-Arsenal

Bad news for Manchester City and the Spanish national team. One of their key assets, Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, Rodri, apparently faces one of the most feared injuries in the world of football: a torn cruciate ligament in his right knee. If this diagnosis is confirmed, he would miss the remainder of the 2024/25 season, as recovery from such physical setbacks typically takes around 12 months.

The talented midfielder started in the last match for the 'Citizens', which was valid for matchday five of the Premier League, an exciting encounter against Arsenal (2-2). However, Rodri had to leave the field prematurely, specifically in the 16th minute, after a non-ball dispute with Thomas Partey. In the action, it can be seen how at one point, the Madrid native does not support his right leg correctly, leading to an unfortunate movement resulting in his immediate fall with evident signs of pain.

The diagnosis after the initial examination in Manchester

Initially, the prognosis for Rodri's injury was quite encouraging, as the midfielder, albeit limping, left the field under his own power. However, as reported by 'MARCA', the initial examinations conducted on the player in Manchester have revealed a torn cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Although the aforementioned source also clarifies that the definitive diagnosis will not be known until Hernández undergoes additional tests in Spain. In fact, Rodri has already traveled to Madrid for further examinations to confirm the severity of the injury.

Rodri had previously complained about the excessive match load faced by players

Ironically, Rodri had been one of the players who recently expressed concern about the high number of matches footballers are currently facing. In the press conference before the match between Manchester City and Inter Milan, the midfielder stated regarding the quantity of matches: "I think it's too much. Someone has to take care of us, because we are the protagonists of this sport, or business, or whatever you want to call it. It's not all about money or marketing, it's also about the quality of the show," he expressed.

"I think between 40 and 50 matches is the maximum a player can reach. After that, you drop, because it's impossible to maintain the physical level. If people want to see better football, we have to rest. When the number of matches increases, the performance and quality decrease," he asserted.

His words make sense, given that in the 2023/24 season, he played a total of 58 matches and 4938 minutes between club and national team. Furthermore, in the current campaign, he had already accumulated four matches and 215 minutes, with hardly any rest not motivated by an injury.