Erling Haaland and Rodri have both been spotted training with Manchester City ahead of their Premier League clash against Bournemouth on Sunday.
The Citizens advanced into the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup on Wednesday after beating Swansea City 3-1, and they will face Brentford for a place in the semi-final.
Manager Pep Guardiola rotated a number of first-team stars against Swansea, with both Haaland and Rodri both missing out.
The Catalan head coach revealed that the former had suffered a "knock", while the latter has been struggling with a hamstring issue.
Both players were pictured in training on Thursday, though Guardiola was not optimistic about Rodri's chances of playing against Bournemouth, telling reporters: "Rodri is still not [ready]. So, he is getting better, training with us partial.
"But, of course, after what happened two times with the muscular injuries, we are going to see how he is this week.”
Rodri missed much of the 2024-25 campaign due to a knee injury, and he has struggled to stay fit this term due to various issues.
Rodri of Manchester City in Champions League action on September 18, 2025
Manchester City vs. Bournemouth: How should Pep Guardiola line up?
If Haaland is fit to start, there is no other option but to play him against Bournemouth considering how reliant the club have been on him for goals.
The striker has scored 15 times in all competitions for the club, whereas no other player has managed to score more than two, with no other player scoring more than once in the Premier League.
In midfield, the logical choice to fill in for Rodri is Nico Gonzalez, who did not start last Sunday when Guardiola's side lost 1-0 against Aston Villa.
Tijjani Reijnders was used as a number six against Villa, but he would arguably benefit more from having the freedom to push forward and contribute in the final third.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola pictured on October 18, 2025
Can Manchester City win the Premier League title ahead of Arsenal?
If City are to win the Premier League title ahead of Arsenal, they will almost certainly have to rely on Haaland to carry them over the finish line.
The Norwegian has found the back of the net in 10 of his 12 games for the Citizens, and his failure to score against Villa was the first time in 10 matches that he had blanked in for the club.
However, Guardiola must find ways of reducing the reliance on the centre-forward given they have at times been stifled whenever Haaland has had a quiet game.
Other stars such as Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku have disappointed in attack this term, but if they can rediscover their form, then perhaps the six-point gap to Arsenal can be reduced.
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