John Stones found Rodri in good spirits when he spoke to the Manchester City midfielder after his recent surgery.
Stones called Rodri on Sunday, following City’s game against Newcastle, before the team trained and flew to Bratislava for their Champions League campaign. Rodri, however, won’t be with the squad after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, with surgery ruling him out for the rest of the season.
It’s a huge setback for Pep Guardiola and City, but an even bigger disappointment for Rodri, who had reached the peak of his career and was even in contention for the Ballon d’Or. City will need to adapt without him, and Rodri will have to come to terms with being sidelined for nearly a year.
Despite the situation, Stones found Rodri to be in a positive mindset when they spoke. While City understands how crucial the 28-year-old is to their success, they can’t afford to dwell on his absence.
“He was in good spirits, he knows what has happened and understands the recovery process,” Stones said. “I’m glad to hear him in such good spirits. He’s with his family, taking time to relax and recover as best he can.
“It’s sad because the standard he’s set over the past few seasons has been incredible. We know how key he has been for us, but now we look forward to his return. Hopefully, he’ll be back soon. We have a lot of quality in the squad, and plenty of players capable of stepping into that role.”
Leave a Reply