Arsenal have been handed a potentially significant boost before Arsenal vs Man City, with Rodri facing a race to be available for Sunday’s Community Shield in Cardiff.
The Spain midfielder has returned to Manchester after undergoing minor back surgery towards the end of July.
Manchester City confirmed that Rodri would require a period of rehabilitation following the procedure, creating uncertainty over whether he will be ready for the first competitive game of the season.
🛩️🇬🇧 Rodri, flying back to Manchester from Madrid while talks with Barcelona continue.
World Cup Player of the Tournament, tonight boarding on Ryanair flight to Liverpool. ✈️@kippaxgirlemily 📸 pic.twitter.com/RLTdmcQQQe
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 13, 2026
Rodri doubt could change Arsenal vs Man City battle
City head coach Enzo Maresca provided a fresh update on Friday after seeing Rodri back at the club.
Maresca said the midfielder looked well but stopped short of confirming whether he could feature against Arsenal. Reuters reports Rodri has been cleared to return to training following the operation, although his match readiness remains unclear.
Spanish reporting goes further, stating that Rodri must first complete a rehabilitation programme and is not yet ready to play.
That would be a sizeable absence for City.
Rodri remains one of their most influential midfielders and his ability to control possession, break up attacks and protect the defence would be particularly important against Mikel Arteta’s title-winning side.
Arsenal’s own midfield picture has improved considerably. Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi have all returned to training, while £75million signing Bruno Guimaraes is pushing for his first competitive start.
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Rodri has not officially been ruled out, so Arsenal cannot prepare on the assumption that he will be absent.
But with the midfielder only beginning the next stage of his recovery two days before the game, his fitness has become one of the biggest selection questions surrounding Sunday’s Community Shield.
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