Pep Guardiola confirms Man City starter for RB Leipzig ahead of Rodri rest

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Rodri will start in Manchester City’s Champions League encounter with RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

The Man City midfielder has missed their last two games with suspension after being sent off for violent conduct against Nottingham Forest.

Rodri was caught grabbing Morgan Gibbs-White by the neck, which led to Anthony Taylor giving him a straight red card in their league meeting last month.

City hung on to win the game 2-0 despite playing with 10 men, but have struggled in Rodri’s absence, losing both games.

The first came in the EFL Cup away to Newcastle United where Guardiola may have rested Rodri anyway, but City were given a huge shock by Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend.

Wolves became the first side to beat City in the Premier League this season, ending the champions’ 100% start to the league campaign.

Guardiola utilised all three of his fit central midfield options over the course of the two games, giving Kalvin Phillips a start at Newcastle, before opting for midfield duo of Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes at Wolves.

The City manager has confirmed that while Rodri will play in Germany on Wednesday, he will be allowed a few days off before linking up with the Spanish national side next week.

That means the player will not travel or train with the squad ahead of their trip to North London to face Arsenal at the weekend.

The Arsenal game will be the final match in Rodri’s three-game suspension, before he will be eligible for selection again in City’s clash with Brighton & Hove Albion after the international break.

Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference: “Rodri is going to play the game and after he can take a rest, go to Madrid for four or five days before the national team for the international break. He has to do it.”

Rodri was very vocal in his concerns about player welfare earlier in the year, and he played the most minutes of any City outfield player last season.

The 27-year-old is believed to have told the club that he will not be able to play the same amount of minutes this season, especially with the European Championships taking place next summer too.

Rodri starting on Wednesday means Guardiola will not try to test a system for the Arsenal game when the Spaniard will not be there.

After a shaky opening day victory over Red Star Belgrade though, Guardiola may want to take no chances and field his strongest side in order to leave Germany with three points.