There aren’t many reasons for Pep Guardiola to smile these days — his team hasn’t secured a Champions League spot, they missed the chance to win the FA Cup — but there’s at least one thing bringing him more joy than usual: his favorite midfielder is back in action.Rodri is ready to play football again! That’s fantastic news not just for Guardiola and Manchester City fans, but for sports lovers in general, as we’re talking about the most recent Ballon d’Or winner. Since tearing his ACL in the derby against Arsenal in Matchday 5, the Spaniard has been out of the squad, although he promised early in his rehab process that he’d return before the season ended.🚨🔵 BREAKING: Rodri returns as part of Manchester City squad after long injury!He’s on the bench tonight vs Bournemouth. pic.twitter.com/3ItUSiDL5C— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 20, 2025 According to The Athletic, Rodri has been medically cleared to return to the squad, and it could happen as soon as Tuesday night when Bournemouth visits the Etihad — a must-win match for City to stay in the Champions League race. It’s unlikely Guardiola will start him, but depending on the scoreline, he may bring him on in the second half. If not then, Rodri could feature in Sunday’s Premier League finale against Fulham in London.If nothing else, he’ll have nearly a month to build momentum ahead of City’s participation in the Club World Cup. He’s also expected to be included by Luis de la Fuente in Spain’s squad for the UEFA Nations League Finals in Germany, with the announcement due Monday.ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 37Friday Aston Villa – Tottenham 2-0 (0-0)/Konsa 59, Kamara 73/Chelsea – Manchester United 1-0 (0-0)/Cucurella 71/Sunday Everton – Southampton 2-0 (2-0)/Ndiaye 6, 45+2/West Ham – Nottingham Forest 1-2 (0-1)/Bowen 86 – Gibbs-White 11, Milenkovic 61/Brentford – Fulham 2-3 (2-1)/Mbeumo 22, Wissa 43 – Jimenez 16, Cairney 68, Wilson 70/Leicester – Ipswich 2-0 (1-0)/Vardy 28, McAteer 69/Arsenal – Newcastle 1-0 (0-0)/Rice 55/Monday Brighton – Liverpool 3-2 (1-2)/Ayari 32, Mitoma 69, Hinshelwood 85 – Elliott 9, Szoboszlai 45+1/Tuesday22.00: (2.30) Crystal Palace (3.35) Wolverhampton (3.15)22.00: (1.55) Man.City (4.20) Bournemouth (5.90)***odds are subject to change***
