Not Erling Haaland, but This Manchester City Star’s Return From Injury Could Be Key for Pep Guardiola Against Liverpool

Manchester City are gearing up to face their arch-rivals Liverpool in a pivotal match. However, Pep Guardiola‘s men find themselves in a precarious situation due to a string of injuries plaguing the squad. Even their star striker Erling Haaland recently suffered an ankle injury on the International break. While the return of Haaland will undoubtedly have a significant impact, it could be the return of another injured player that holds the key to victory for City.

City’s injury list is extensive, potentially depriving the team of crucial players ahead of this crucial encounter. The list includes names like Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson, Nathan Ake, Mateo Kovacic, and John Stones. However, one player the team will desperately need back is Spanish midfielder Rodri.

Why does Manchester City need Rodri to win?

Rodri’s absence from the Spanish national team’s squad against Cyprus raised eyebrows, with reports suggesting discomfort as the reason for his exclusion. Nevertheless, Rodri made a comeback in the next game against Georgia, indicating that he may be fit and available for the Liverpool clash. Having the defensive midfielder back on the pitch is imperative for Cityzens, and arguably, his presence could be even more crucial than that of Haaland.

While Haaland’s goal-scoring prowess has undoubtedly contributed to City’s success in several matches, Rodri’s performances have been pivotal when it comes to securing victories. In fact, recent data released by OPTA reveals that since the 2019-20 season, City has only won 60% of matches without Rodri, compared to 74.2% when he is on the pitch.

To further emphasize the significance of Rodri’s role, let’s examine City’s performance this season. Their only two defeats this season came against Arsenal and Wolves. In both these matches Rodri was absent due to a red-card suspension. These results highlight the impact of the Spanish midfielder’s absence. Furthermore, when considering the team composition, it becomes even more apparent why Rodri’s return is of greater importance than Haaland’s.

Erling Haaland is replaceable while Rodri is not so much

Argentine forward, Julian Alvarez has shown his ability to step up and contribute with his goal-scoring prowess. Alvarez has already scored 7 goals and provided 5 assists in 18 games. This makes him a suitable replacement for the Norwegian forward. On the other hand, finding a proper candidate to replace Rodri proves to be much more challenging.

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The midfield has already been weakened due to De Bruyne’s hamstring injury, which has sidelined him since August. Additionally, Kalvin Phillips, who joined the team last year, has struggled to find his form as a potential replacement for Rodri.

Considering all these factors, it becomes increasingly clear that Rodri’s return is crucial for the team’s success. Ideally, having both Rodri and Haaland back would be the best-case scenario. Encouragingly, there have been recent updates on Haaland’s injury indicating that he may indeed make a return against Liverpool.

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