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Marshall: City dealt fresh injury blow in key position amid Rodri setback

Manchester City are already without Rodri and are now facing concern around Nico Gonzalez after he limped out of the game against Villarreal.

Thomas Partey of Villarreal CF and Nico Gonzalez of Manchester City during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase tie

Nico Gonzalez was forced off against Villarreal

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Manchester City have been handed a fresh injury concern in midfield after Nico Gonzalez limped out of the Champions League clash with Villarreal at El Madrigal.

Gonzalez was again standing in for the injured Rodri but was forced off just before the hour mark and needed treatment from the club's medical staff.

The 23-year-old appeared to point towards his groin when he went down and received treatment, although he may have also been complaining of an impact injury after a coming together in midfield.

The £50millon January signing from Porto has been impressive recently and had praise from Pep Guardiola ringing in his ears during Monday's press conference.

His fitness will be a concern with Rodri still nursing a hamstring injury he picked up against Brentford just over two weeks ago. Guardiola said on Monday he expects the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner to miss this weekend's Premier League trip to Aston Villa.

"It's not long, but it's muscular and you have to be careful," the City boss said. "We've tried so many times, we've tried to not take a risk, but we have not been able to do that. So we will see."

Gonzalez was replaced at Villarreal by Mateo Kovacic, who made his first club appearance of the season on Saturday after Achilles surgery in the summer.

Kovacic is a potential stand-in for Rodri and Gonzalez if neither Spanish midfielder is able to prove their fitness in time for the clash at Villa Park.

The only other City player currently on the treatment table is defender Abdukodir Khusanov.

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