Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic will be out for a considerable period due to an ankle injury, Pep Guardiola has confirmed.
The Citizens managed to beat Bournemouth 3-1 at the Etihad on Sunday, with striker Erling Haaland scoring twice against the Cherries.
Guardiola will be disappointed to have not kept a clean sheet, though perhaps the team's midfield should bear more blame than the defence.
Bernardo Silva encountered difficulties in his side's double pivot at times, though Nico Gonzalez managed to play well despite his partner's struggles.
Gonzalez is a natural number eight and has been filling in for Rodri, but he may have to continue in that role following news of Kovacic's injury, with Guardiola telling reporters: "He will be out for a while. He still has a problem with the ankle, a little calcification still there. We'll wait on him for the last part of the season."
The news will come as a blow considering Rodri has struggled with fitness, and the lack of depth in deeper midfield areas could prove costly.
Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic on October 18, 2025
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Though Kovacic is not a specialist number six, he has at times managed to fill in for Rodri, so his lengthy injury absence will limit Guardiola's options in midfield considerably.
Gonzalez is a strong passer, and he is able to cover ground effectively, but his overall skillset with the ball is not as strong as Rodri's.
The latter was an unused substitute against Bournemouth, and he has started just six times in 2025-26, so perhaps it would be unwise to rely on the Spaniard as a first-team starter.
However, should Rodri manage to stay fit for a prolonged period, he could be used alongside Gonzalez in midfield, and he would likely benefit from playing next to an athletic partner.
Manchester City's Nico Gonzalez during the warm-up on August 23, 2025
Do Manchester City have enough depth to win the Premier League title?
While there are question marks in midfield, there are also concerns that the club do not have enough firepower up front should Haaland suffer an injury.
The Norwegian has scored 13 of his side's 18 Premier League goals and any absence from the XI could be catastrophic, unlike rivals Arsenal, who are six points ahead of them in first place.
Arsenal are able to boast depth in every area of the pitch, with the club not noticing the loss of players such as William Saliba and Martin Odegaard this season.
Liverpool are yet to find their best starting XI, and another injury at centre-back would leave them with just two senior options in the heart of their backline.
If City have ambitions of catching league-leaders Arsenal, they may need to reinforce in January to ensure that their squad is sufficiently staffed.
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