Enzo Maresca gets an early setback as Man City star will miss the start of the season because of an unknown injury.
Enzo Maresca got some tough news right after being announced as Manchester City’s new coach. Reports say one of his key players will miss the start of the season.
After a lot of talk about him taking over from Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium, City confirmed Maresca’s appointment on Monday. The Italian, who has worked at City before in different roles, signed a three-year deal. City also paid about £17 million to Chelsea over his controversial departure from Stamford Bridge.
Maresca said he’s excited to work with such a talented team, but he’ll have to wait longer to work with the team’s midfield star, Rodri.
Rodri, who won the 2024 Ballon d’Or, is with Spain at the World Cup. Unfortunately, he picked up a “mystery injury” and will have surgery after the tournament, according to Jack Gaughan from the Daily Mail.
Rodri and other World Cup players were always expected to miss part of pre-season because they’d return late from holidays. But now with surgery, Rodri will likely miss the start of the 2026/27 season. He’s expected to miss the Community Shield against Arsenal on August 15, as well as the first three league games against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and Coventry City.
City will really want him back for the big derby against Manchester United on September 12. There’s no exact date for his return yet, and details about his injury are still unclear. However, it’s thought his recovery won’t take too long.
Since coming back from an ACL injury last season, Rodri has had some fitness issues and muscle injuries. With Real Madrid interested, Rodri has been offered a new contract by City but hasn’t decided yet. His current deal ends in 2027, and if he doesn’t sign something by January 1, he could agree to join another club.
City have already lost Bernardo Silva and John Stones for free after their contracts expired. But they are set to make a club-record £116 million signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest soon. Anderson has passed his medical and will earn about £300,000 a week, making him the most expensive British player ever.
City’s transfer work isn’t done yet. They’re also interested in Morocco’s young star Ayyoub Bouaddi and Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali. On the other hand, Nathan Ake is expected to leave, and players like Mateo Kovacic, Omar Marmoush, and Nico Gonzalez might move on too.
Ruben Dias could join his fellow Portuguese player Bernardo Silva at Real Madrid, while Josko Gvardiol is expected to sign a new deal with City.