Spain and Manchester City star Rodri Hernandez likely injured for the rest of the season

Spain and Manchester City lynchpin Rodri Hernandez It was loud and clear last week after an exhausting season that ended in him in the final of Euro 2024 with a muscle injury, that FIFA and UEFA needed to find a way to reduce the number of matches and the demands of the players. He suffered a brutal injury this weekend, which will likely see him miss the rest of the season.

Coming off the best campaign of his career, Rodri returned to Spain earlier this month for the first time, and started for Manchester City against Arsenal, when after 20 minutes, he limped off the field. While there was more optimism about the knee, now AS Diary reports that the signs are that he has indeed torn his ACL, which would likely rule him out for seven months to a year.

The recovery period will depend on the severity of the tear and whether the surrounding areas are affected. Rodri is now going to travel to Madrid for a complete examination, and a decisive diagnosis. The 28-year-old will leave a big hole in the midfields of the city and Spain.

City will probably have to cover Rodri's absence with one of Mateo Kovacic, Nico O'Reilly or Ilkay Gundogan until at least January, while Luis de la Fuente will likely look to Martin Zubimendi. At the very least, he won't miss any major international tournaments, but it's a grim prognosis for the Ballon d'Or contender, who seemed to be at the peak of his powers.