Man City injury news: Rodri availability confirmed, fresh Rayan Cherki update from Pep Guardiola before Monaco Champions League clash

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that star midfielder Rodri is fit and available to start for Manchester City in Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Monaco at Stade Louis II.

Citizens supporters have been sweating over the fitness of the Spain international after he requested not to play in last weekend’s 5-1 Premier League victory over Burnley because of “a lot of pain in his knee” according to Guardiola.

The Catalan confirmed after the match that Rodri had been feeling pain in the same knee affected by a torn anterior cruciate ligament this time last year, a serious injury that forced him to miss more than eight months of football in the 2024-25 season.

However, Man City were boosted by the news that Rodri took part in first-team training on Tuesday morning and he has since been included in Guardiola’s 21-man travelling squad to Monaco.

In a further boost for the Citizens, Guardiola has revealed that Rodri is “feeling much better” and could even start in Wednesday night’s Champions League fixture.

Guardiola delivers positive Rodri injury update before Monaco clash

Speaking at a press conference in Monaco on Tuesday evening, Guardiola was asked if Rodri is fit to start, and he replied: “Yes. He feels much better than the game before against Burnley.

“Day by day we see how best he feels. The day before Burnley he didn’t feel too good. Today he feels much better so we will see.”

Guardiola added: “It’s different from [when he had a problem at] the Club World Cup - now he is not injured, but the week before was so demanding with [games against] Manchester United, Napoli and especially Arsenal.

“Right now, in my opinion if you ask me, he is not able to play three games a week at top, top level. Tough intensity and demanding of opponents.

“My feeling is right now he is not ready because he needs time. This type of injury [to recover fully] is a minimum one year. He has been patient, and he will dictate [his availability].

“Nico [Gonzalez] made an incredible game last game. He is improving day by day, Kova [Mateo Kovacic] is also quite similar and we will see what happens.”

Kovacic is yet to play for Man City this season since undergoing Achilles surgery in the summer, but the midfielder has been selected in Guardiola’s squad for the match with Monaco and could therefore feature in some capacity on Wednesday.

Cherki to miss Monaco, Brentford games with Guardiola wary of ‘risk’

Like Rodri, Rayan Cherki is another Man City star who made a welcome return to first-team training on Tuesday after missing the last six games in all competitions with a thigh injury.

Guardiola initially suggested at the end of August that Cherki would be sidelined for up to two months, before reports from France last week claimed that the 22-year-old’s injury has now ‘healed’, with the former Lyon star having now ‘resumed reconditioning work’.

However, Cherki has not been included in Man City’s travelling squad to Monaco and will therefore miss Wednesday’s fixture, with Guardiola confirming that he plans to slowly integrate the playmaker back into the first-team fold after the international break.

"It's so risky (Cherki’s injury), because next time it's surgery, next time it's four or five months,” said Guardiola. “I don't want to take a risk in that game on Sunday (against Brentford in the Premier League).

“After he will have two weeks to fully recover by training alone, with the EDS (Elite Development Squad), with the team, and he'll be ready.

“[Cherki] has a special quality in a tight game, in the final third, with his vision and pass which is difficult to find. That is why it's important for him to come back and not take a step back."

Man City’s No.10 will remain on the sidelines for the time being along with Abdukodir Khusanov (foot), Rayan Ait-Nouri (ankle) and Omar Marmoush (knee), who continue to recover from injury.