Manchester City midfielder Rodri says he will be rested at some point in the coming weeks as Pep Guardiola’s team chase a second successive treble.
Rodri has played 45 games for club and country this season, the most recent of those being City’s thrilling 3-3 draw with Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday.
That result made it 65 games without defeat for Rodri with both City and Spain, with his last loss in any competition coming against Tottenham in February 2023.
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Only Phil Foden (2,448) has played more minutes than Rodri’s 2,403 among City players in the Premier League this campaign, and the 27-year-old says his exertions are beginning to take a toll.
“I do need a rest,” Rodri told reporters after Tuesday’s match.
“Let’s see how we speak, how we live the situation. Sometimes it is what it is. I need to adjust. It is something we are planning, yes.”
FULL-TIME | A thrilling draw in Madrid ⭐️
⚪️ 3-3 🩵 #MANCITY PIC.TWITTER.COM/D3YLAGWDWI
— Manchester City (@ManCity) APRIL 9, 2024
City sit one point adrift of Arsenal at the Premier League summit and welcome Luton Town to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, ahead of hosting Madrid in the second leg of their European tie four days later.
They then face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals on April 20 as they continue to hunt silverware on three fronts.
Should City reach the Champions League semi-finals, they will not have a free midweek until at least the second full week of May, while they are also waiting for a postponed trip to Tottenham to be rearranged.