Rodri will showcase his Ballon d’Or trophy at the Etihad Stadium ahead of Manchester City’s upcoming match against Tottenham, with Pep Guardiola expressing just how much he misses his Spanish midfielder.
Unfortunately, Rodri is sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a cruciate ligament injury.
Despite his absence on the field, he will be present at the game as Man City look to break a four-match losing streak.
Guardiola said: “It’s nice to see him (Rodri) back.
“He had surgery in Madrid and stayed out with his family for the first steps.
“In January, he will come here to make a recovery but I hear from the doctors it is going well and his mood is nice.
“It’s unique in our club to get this amazing award (the Ballon D’Or) and share it with our people.”
He added: “He is the best player in the world.
Imagine at Barcelona when Messi was the best player – without him that season, would I have won the treble?
“No. Win six ( La Liga titles) in a row without Messi? I don’t win six.”
Guardiola reignited the club vs. country debate by expressing frustration over young defender Max Alleyne returning injured from England U20 duty.
“Max Alleyne will be injured because they pushed his limits and he came back injured,” Guardiola said.
“They should be more in contact with the doctors of the national teams and the doctors from here because if one player goes not in a perfect condition and trains with the U21s in the morning and in the afternoon with the U20s and then plays two games not fully fit, it’s normal that he is injured and we will lose him for three weeks to one month.”
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