Manchester City midfielder Rodri will undergo surgery to treat a back injury, with no return date set.

The Spain captain won the Best Player award at the World Cup this summer after leading his country to win the tournament for the second time following their 2010 title.

The 30-year-old started in all eight matches, after being plagued by injuries over the past two seasons with City.

The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner faces an uncertain future with City, with only one year remaining on his contract. The Athletic reported that talks are expected after the World Cup, but he has not yet shown any desire to extend his deal.

The midfielder has repeatedly been linked with a move to Real Madrid, having expressed a desire to return to his country at some point in his career amid speculation about his future.

Rodri has struggled to return to his same impact since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament tear in September 2024, which kept him out for most of the 2024-2025 season.

Rodri's physical problems continued into last season, as hamstring and thigh injuries limited his appearances to just 33 matches in all competitions, starting in 17 of City's 38 Premier League matches last season.

Rodri was a key element in Pep Guardiola's team that achieved the historic treble in the 2022-2023 season, scoring a goal in the Champions League final when City beat Inter Milan 1-0, and featuring in 56 matches that season, in which the team also won the Premier League and FA Cup.

The impact of Rodri's absence is expected to be somewhat reduced following the arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest this summer in a deal worth £116 million. However, The Athletic reported on July 21 that Mateo Kovacic and Nico Gonzalez could leave, while Bernardo Silva has already left the Etihad after his contract expired.

Manchester City will start their 2026-2027 season with a home match against Bournemouth on August 23.

* This material is translated by SRMG