Manchester City midfielder Matheus Nunes has put his name forward to replace Rodri.
It was confirmed by the club earlier this week that the Spanish international has suffered a serious knee injury after being taken off against Arsenal last weekend. Speaking about the situation, Nunes said “it’s a massive loss” but he is hoping he can “fill the void” left by his teammate:
“At Wolves, I played more as a winger and last year here I played more as a 10 but when I played for Sporting I always played in the double pivot so I’m used to every position now.”
“I try to help the team every time the coach puts me on the field but I know the other guys are all ready as well because we have so much quality in the team.”
“We’re going to have to fill the void because it’s a massive loss but whoever is on the pitch is going to perform well. We have shown that if any player is out we have another one that is ready and has top quality to play.”
Nunes could have left the Etihad in the summer
It should be pointed out that the Portuguese midfielder was on the market during the last transfer window. Despite splashing out £53m on the player in August last year, he has struggled to establish himself at the Premier League champions.
Rodri’s absence should give him more opportunities to play over the next few weeks and months. He was in the starting eleven that faced Watford in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening, scoring City’s second goal.
Who will start instead of Rodri when City face Newcastle?
While Nunes has thrown his hat into the ring, he is unlikely to be in the lineup when Pep Guardiola’s side take on the Magpies at Saturday lunchtime.
Mateo Kovacic had begun the season in fine form, filling in for Rodri who was missing due to a hamstring problem. The former Chelsea player is favourite to start at St James’ Park this weekend.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
