Why is Rodri not playing for Manchester City vs. Burnley? Injury update

Jason Sargent Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Jon Arnold, USA TODAYWed, April 22, 2026 at 10:08 AM UTC

Manchester City is chasing another Premier League title but will have to do it without a key component Wednesday.

The Sky Blues secured a 2-1 win over current leaders Arsenal on Sunday and now have a chance to go to the top of the table with a victory over Burnley.

But star midfielder Rodri came out of the win over the Gunners late with a groin injury, and after the match Guardiola said he was concerned about how much time he would be without the Villarreal product.

When will Rodri return from injury?

"I think for tomorrow he will not be ready. Then, we’ll see," Man City manager Pep Guardiola said in his pre-match news conference Tuesday, suggesting his return could come in the FA Cup "semifinal against Southampton or in 12, 13 days against Everton."

1 / 0Best Premier League action, scenes and drama from 2025-26 seasonDominic Calvert-Lewin of Leeds United misses a headed chance while under pressure from Leny Yoro of Manchester United at Old Trafford on April 13, 2026 in Manchester, England. Leeds United won the match, 2-1.

That's a quicker timeline than some City fans feared and indicates Rodri should be fit to help them chase both the cup and the league trophies.

Still, Guardiola must replace Rodri against Burnley and also make sure the rest of his team stays fresh during a busy stretch of games as the end of the season approaches.

"We talked immediately in the dressing room after the game: Don’t lose the focus. The focus is Arsenal is top of the league," Guardiola said. "Right now, in this moment, they’d be champion.

"Of course, the recovery is much less than the last two weeks. It’s just two days so you have to see how people recover not just the demanding game we had emotionally and physically."