Expert: There are doubts about whether Rodri can return to his peak when his contract expires next summer. Manchester City needs to remain patient.

November 8th: Manchester City coach Guardiola believes that Rodri will show his best form in the second half of the season.

Rodri will miss this weekend's Premier League showdown with Liverpool due to injury, and Manchester City are unwilling to risk letting him play before the upcoming international break. Rodri could have made Manchester City or any team in the world stronger when he was at his peak, but long-term health issues have left his future in doubt until his contract expires in the summer of 2027.

Rodri won the Ballon d'Or last year and will only turn 30 next summer. Several experts have analyzed its future.

Simon Bajokovski

Rodri's mood did change after his injury at Brentford. He came off the field due to injury in the 20th minute, but in an interview after the game he seemed very optimistic and even stated that he would not miss the next game and denied that this problem was related to the serious injury last season.

However, there is a feeling within the club that his intermittent comeback is not conducive to anyone and that more caution is needed. After missing three games, Rodri came on as a substitute for a few minutes against Bournemouth in a win that proved the club's caution was effective, but now he is out again.

Guardiola continues to believe that Rodri will not return to his best form until the end of the season, which is a difficult view for many to accept. You can imagine Rodri's frustration: after a season ended due to injury, he didn't want to miss most of the time again. But City must devise a plan to minimize further injury, and if that means keeping him in Manchester through the next international break and making a full recovery, or even longer, then it's worth it.

As for contract extension negotiations, this is reminiscent of De Bruyne's situation last season. He postponed negotiations until he returned to his best condition, but ultimately failed. However, Manchester City have an extra year to deal with Rodri's contract issue. It’s not an ideal situation, but it’s the reality after an ACL injury.

Tyron Marshall

It is increasingly difficult to see Rodri regularly appearing at his best in Manchester City's midfield before Christmas. He can't stay healthy at the moment and it seems like every game will come down to how he feels that day. Maybe Guardiola is right and Rodri will find his best form at the end of the season or after next summer, but this will cause contract problems for Manchester City. His contract expires at the end of next season and it would be unwise to seek an extension now.

If he can start the new season in 2024 like when he won the Ballon d'Or, Real Madrid will definitely be interested in him. They love free transfers and bringing back a Spanish midfielder would be perfect for them. But this is all hypothetical. First, Rodri needs to make sure he gets back to that level. At least at City, he will have patient support, in part because of the quality of his substitutes.

Nico Gonzalez now looks like what Guardiola described as a "mini Rodri" in February, meaning concerns about the more experienced Rodri's fitness are less frequent.

Andy Dunn

There are always a few players who can determine their destiny in the club, and Rodri is one of them.

Despite the brutality of professional football, and despite the fact that emotion and loyalty become scarce as player value decreases, Rodri has earned the right to be treated favorably with his performance in five extraordinary seasons and the Ballon d'Or.

More importantly, Manchester City management know they can trust Rodri to make the right decisions for the club and personally. Why? Because since joining in 2019, the two most appropriate words to describe Rodri's contribution are "honest" and "selfless".

Only Rodri himself knows whether his body can allow him to regain the stable performance of those five seasons. Only he knows whether he can continue to be at his best at age 33 or 34. Given the disruption in his comeback, he and everyone at City will need to be patient. But if Rodri is convinced that he can continue to be an important force for the club beyond 2027, a new contract should already be waiting for him to sign.