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Chelsea have received good news following reports that Manchester City star will not be available for their Premier League opener on Sunday.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has confirmed that star midfielder Rodri will miss their Premier League opening clash against Chelsea on Sunday.
Rodri has been one of City's most important players in recent years. The Cityzens did not lose a single league game in which Rodri was involved last season, underscoring his importance.
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07:16 - 16.08.2024
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Chelsea welcome Manchester City to Stamford Bridge for a feisty season opener and we expect fireworks.
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Manchester City star has suffered a leg fracture that will keep him out of action for a long time.
Guardiola has now confirmed he will be unavailable against Chelsea, which can be considered an advantage for Enzo Maresca's side.
What Guardiola said
Speaking in the first pre-match press conference of the season, Guardiola gave an update on the state of his team's fitness.
For players who went deep into the European Championships for England, like Walker, Stones and Foden, Pep explained that they have only trained with the team a few times, but he believes they are in good enough shape to participate.
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"I don't know... Just two or three training sessions. They arrived fit, in good shape. Today, in the professional world, the players take care of themselves even on holidays."
“We'll see; today, tomorrow, and Sunday, we'll see the line-up. I'm pretty sure they're ready—maybe not for 90 minutes, maybe yes, or maybe for a few minutes. What's important is everybody is back."
For Rodri, however, Guardiola ruled him out of the game, stating he is yet to participate in any training session.
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“He had zero training sessions with us, he’s not ready.”
Chelsea host Guardiola's side on Sunday, August 18, at Stamford Bridge in both their opening fixtures of the Premier League campaign.
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