Copyright standard
Pep Guardiola has suggested Rodri will not be in the Manchester City squad for their Premier League showdown with Liverpool. Rodri is available again following his latest return as a late substitute against Bournemouth last weekend, but Guardiola has warned City must be “careful” with the midfielder who has struggled with some niggling problems since his return from his serious knee injury. He was not in the squad for the midweek Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund and, speaking ahead of the Liverpool game, Guardiola said: “We'll see but I think we won't take a risk.” “Rodri can play one game a week, but the problem is we play every three days and then there is the national team. It was a long injury. History says the year after, you have problems. “We tried to avoid it, but the stats say that. One game a week you recover fine, but me as a manager, [when] the doctors say he is ready, he is going to play. We have to be careful from now on.” Nico Gonzalez and Phil Foden are both set for starts and the big question for Guardiola is which two of Tijjani Reijnders, Bernardo Silva and Rayan Cherki will join them in the team. Bernardo is often trusted by Guardiola in big games and Reijnders started in midweek. Gianluigi Donnarumma and Erling Haaland are two of the first names on the team sheet. Mateo Kovacic is City’s only long-term absentee at the moment. Predicted Man City XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Gonzalez, Reijnders, Foden, Silva, Haaland, Doku Doubts: Rodri Injured: Kovacic (ankle) Time and date: 4.30pm GMT on Sunday November 9, 2025 How to watch: Sky Sports Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
