Premier League 2025-26: Rodri to miss Man City vs Crystal Palace match despite getting “sharper every day”

Manchester City will be without Rodri again in Sunday’s Premier League match against fourth-placed Crystal Palace as the Ballon d’Or winner continues to recover from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him since October.

City could use the 29-year-old Spanish midfielder in their title hunt as they have closed the gap on Arsenal and are two points behind the second-place leaders after 15 games.

“Rodri is training very well,” City assistant manager Kolo Toure told reporters on Friday. “He’s looking sharper and sharper every day, but I certainly don’t think we’ll see him this weekend, but he’s going through the process.”

Toure came on for City boss Pep Guardiola, who missed the pre-match press conference due to what the club called a ‘personal matter’ that will have no impact on Sunday’s match.

«Yes, Pep is fine. It’s a small matter that didn’t get him here, but everything is fine,» Toure said. “He will definitely be back (Sunday).”

While defender John Stones was absent from Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League and missed the 3-0 Premier League win over Sunderland, Toure said the squad selection will be finalized after Saturday’s training.

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«The players are off today. Tomorrow, when everyone comes back, we will know more about the players,» he said. «It was John’s thigh. That’s the problem. I’m sure it wasn’t anything too big and I think he’ll be back soon.»

Toure also confirmed that Sunday will be the last match in which Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri are available before they leave for Egypt and Algeria respectively for the Africa Cup of Nations, which starts on December 21.

While Toure was asked whether Arsenal could feel the pressure with City nipping at his heels, the former Premier League defender said his side are “just concentrating on what we can do.

«We know the quality of Arsenal. They have a very strong squad and a fantastic manager, but it’s all down to us,» he said.

“We have the best manager in the world who does a fantastic job every day, his passion for the game, he loves the players, he loves his staff. We know he will take us as far as he can to win that competition, for us we are focusing on what we can do.”

«We don’t concentrate on what Arsenal are doing. Every match is like a final for us.»

Arsenal hosts Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday. Palace have 26 points, five behind City.

Published on December 12, 2025