Manchester City are gearing up for their match against West Ham on Saturday, aiming to keep their flawless Premier League record intact.
City’s preparations for the encounter have received a significant boost with the return of Rodri and Mateo Kovacic to training. Rodri, who has been sidelined for the first three matches of the season, only rejoined the squad shortly before the Community Shield following a lengthy break after his stellar performance in Euro 2024. Despite his pivotal role in Spain’s Euro victory, Rodri was substituted at half-time during the final against England due to an injury.
The lingering effects of that injury had kept Rodri from fully participating in training prior to the Community Shield and the subsequent Premier League games. However, recent photos shared by City show Rodri back on the pitch with his teammates, raising hopes for his imminent return.
Pep Guardiola has urged caution regarding Rodri’s recovery, noting that his return might be gradual due to both the player’s importance and recent concerns about overexertion. Before the Ipswich match, Guardiola commented, “He’s okay, he had an injury with the national team and he still has some niggles, but I saw him yesterday [last Thursday] quite highly I’d say. It’s just a question of today [last Friday], whether he rejoins the group for the training sessions.”
City have also gained confidence from Kovacic’s return to training. The Croatian midfielder, who impressed during pre-season and the games Rodri missed, had been substituted early in the second half against Ipswich after a knock to his knee. Guardiola had previously expressed uncertainty about Kovacic’s availability for the West Ham match, stating, “I think it was a knock. Liam Delap, we know from here, is so aggressive with that. We have six, seven days until the next game and we will see if he can recover.”
Despite this, Kovacic was spotted smiling in a team photograph from a recent training session, indicating a positive update on his condition. Oscar Bobb remains the only long-term absentee for City.
