Rodri injury: How many Manchester City matches could World Cup winner miss after undergoing back surgery?

Manchester City star Rodri has successfully undergone surgery on a minor back complaint following Spain's World Cup victory in North America.

The 30-year-old midfielder captained La Roja to their first world title since 2010 during a sensational summer campaign in which he won the Golden Ball award.

However, the former Atletico Madrid man scheduled the minor procedure immediately after the tournament to resolve a back issue.

The Manchester outfit are preparing to compete on multiple fronts again after bolstering their engine room with the £116m arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

City are also bracing for potential midfield departures before the transfer window closes, with Mateo Kovacic and Nico Gonzalez said to be attracting concrete interest following the free transfer exit of Bernardo Silva.

Rodri handed possible return date following successful back surgery

While Man City did not confirm how long the midfield star would be absent, The Athletic reports that the World Cup-winning captain should return to first-team training just days before their Community Shield clash against Arsenal on August 16.

The Spaniard is expected to re-join his team-mates alongside other squad members who featured in the quarter-finals and later stages of the World Cup.

Even though it remains to be seen whether Rodri plays any part against Arsenal on August 16, his seeming speedy recovery will come as a huge relief to the English giants after two heavily disrupted campaigns for the 2024 Ballon d'Or recipient.

The Real Madrid target missed almost the entire 2024-25 season due to an anterior cruciate ligament rupture before suffering hamstring and groin setbacks last term.

Despite starting just 17 top-flight games during the 2025-26 campaign, the midfielder started all eight matches for his country at the World Cup.

Real Madrid 'pursue' Rodri transfer amid contract uncertainty

Rodri's long-term future at the Etihad Stadium remains highly uncertain as his current contract approaches its final 12 months.

Los Blancos are actively working on a deal to sign the player and remain confident of reaching an agreement before the summer deadline.

The Spanish international is yet to commit his future to the club despite ongoing efforts from boardroom executives to secure his signature.

Losing their talismanic lynchpin would represent a major blow for City given his instrumental role in their previous trophy triumphs.

Management will hope that a swift return to competitive action can convince the midfield maestro to remain in Manchester as Enzo Maresca's side aim to dethrone Arsenal in the 2026-27 season.