Man City confirms Rodri injury as Guardiola bemoans loss of 'irreplaceable' star

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has ligament damage in his right knee, the club said Wednesday without giving a time frame for his potential absence.

The Spain international, who is among the favorites to win this year’s Ballon d’Or award for the best player in the world, limped off after 20 minutes of the 2-2 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.

The 28-year-old Rodri traveled to Spain on Monday to seek specialist consultation on the problem and City has confirmed he “suffered a ligament injury.”

“Assessment remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the injury and expected prognosis,” the English champions said.

City manager Pep Guardiola said Tuesday he expects to be without Rodri for "a long time" but revealed there were "some opinions that it will be less than we expect.”

“We’re waiting for the last phone calls from the doctors to know exactly what definitely he has and the type of surgery he has to get,” Guardiola said after City's 2-1 win over Watford in the English League Cup.

Rodri’s absence is a major blow to City’s ambitions of winning a record-extending fifth straight Premier League title this season as he is arguably the team’s most important player because of how he protects the defense and conducts its passing game.

His importance to Guardiola’s team was underlined last season when City lost four of nine games without the inspirational midfielder in all competitions. By comparison, City lost just one of 50 games with him in the team.

Guardiola said Tuesday that Rodri is the “best midfielder in the world” and described him as “irreplaceable.”

Rodri fell to the ground in pain after jostling with Arsenal’s Thomas Partey in the box at a corner and immediately called for help. He was starting a game for the second time this season after being granted an extended break by City following the European Championship, which Rodri won with Spain in July.

He was also voted player of the tournament at Euro 2024.

Just last week, Rodri said top players could soon go on strike because of the number of games they are being asked to play as new competitions are introduced to an already-packed soccer calendar and matches are added to existing tournaments.

The Champions League has been expanded this season with two more games for each club in a new-look league stage in the first round. Next year’s expanded Club World Cup will be a 32-team event for the first time and is slated to take place during the offseason for many major leagues, in June-July.

The new Club World Cup format has prompted a legal challenge from players’ unions.

On Tuesday, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said the risk of more injuries to top players was “almost unavoidable” because of the increased demands on players.

AP Sports Writer James Robson in Manchester, England, contributed to this story.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Manchester City's Rodri receives treatment during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

Manchester City's Rodri is injured next to Arsenal's Thomas Partey during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

Man City says Rodri has a ligament injury in his right knee but gives no time frame on absence

Manchester City's Rodri reacts to an injury, during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Man City says Rodri has a ligament injury in his right knee but gives no time frame on absence

ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — First responders on Sunday entered a contested neighborhood in Syria’ s northern city of Aleppo after days of deadly clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led forces. Syrian state media said the military was deployed in large numbers.

The clashes broke out Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main Kurdish-led force in the country, failed to make progress on how to merge the SDF into the national army. Security forces captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid.

The fighting between the two sides was the most intense since the fall of then-President Bashar Assad to insurgents in December 2024. At least 23 people were killed in five days of clashes and more than 140,000 were displaced amid shelling and drone strikes.

The U.S.-backed SDF, which have played a key role in combating the Islamic State group in large swaths of eastern Syria, are the largest force yet to be absorbed into Syria's national army. Some of the factions that make up the army, however, were previously Turkish-backed insurgent groups that have a long history of clashing with Kurdish forces.

The Kurdish fighters have now evacuated from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to northeastern Syria, which is under the control of the SDF. However, they said in a statement they will continue to fight now that the wounded and civilians have been evacuated, in what they called a “partial ceasefire.”

The neighborhood appeared calm Sunday. The United Nations said it was trying to dispatch more convoys to the neighborhoods with food, fuel, blankets and other urgent supplies.

Government security forces brought journalists to tour the devastated area, showing them the damaged Khalid al-Fajer Hospital and a military position belonging to the SDF’s security forces that government forces had targeted.

The SDF statement accused the government of targeting the hospital “dozens of times” before patients were evacuated. Damascus accused the Kurdish-led group of using the hospital and other civilian facilities as military positions.

On one street, Syrian Red Crescent first responders spoke to a resident surrounded by charred cars and badly damaged residential buildings.

Some residents told The Associated Press that SDF forces did not allow their cars through checkpoints to leave.

“We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” said Ahmad Shaikho. “So far the situation has been calm. There hasn’t been any gunfire.”

Syrian Civil Defense first responders have been disarming improvised mines that they say were left by the Kurdish forces as booby traps.

Residents who fled are not being allowed back into the neighborhood until all the mines are cleared. Some were reminded of the displacement during Syria’s long civil war.

“I want to go back to my home, I beg you,” said Hoda Alnasiri.

Associated Press journalist Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report.

Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

People flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

A Syrian military police convoy enters the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)