Rodri to Undergo Back Surgery as Manchester City Manager Enzo Maresca Begins

Enzo Maresca’s first significant act as Manchester City manager is not a signing, a tactical tweak or a bold declaration. It is confirming that the heartbeat of City’s midfield is heading for the operating table.

Rodri, fresh from lifting the World Cup with Spain and being named both Golden Ball winner and Ballon d'Or recipient, will undergo surgery on a back problem on Monday.

The timing underlines the contrast of his summer. One week, he is the undisputed leader of his country, driving Spain to the top of the world. The next, he is being ruled out for an unspecified period just as a new era begins at the Etihad.

Immediate Plan

Maresca, speaking at his first news conference since taking the job, laid out the immediate plan in simple terms.

“Now, [he has] surgery on Monday. Then he needs a holiday, he needs to rest and recover and then he will be back with us,” the Italian said.

No return date. No detailed prognosis. Just the clear message that City will have to start Maresca’s project without the man who has defined their midfield for years.

Recent Club History

Rodri’s recent club history explains the caution. The last two seasons have been fractured and frustrating. An anterior cruciate ligament injury wiped out most of his 2024-25 campaign, a brutal blow for a player whose game thrives on rhythm and continuity. The following season brought further setbacks, leaving him in and out of the side and rarely at full tilt for City.

Then came the World Cup, and with it a reminder of his true level.

On the biggest stage, Rodri looked like Rodri again – commanding, composed, decisive. He captained Spain to the trophy and took home the Golden Ball as the tournament’s outstanding player, the final confirmation of a year in which he also claimed the Ballon d'Or.

That resurgence, inevitably, has fuelled speculation.

Reports in the past week have linked him with a move to Real Madrid, whispers that would unsettle most new managers trying to establish control over a dressing room. Maresca brushed them aside.

“Around big players there are always speculations so I am not worried about that,” he said. “I think it is normal, also because they [Spain] won the World Cup and because he is one of the best players. I think every manager wants to have Rodri because he is a top player.”

The message was firm: interest is normal; anxiety is not.

Challenges Ahead

For City, the challenge now is twofold. They must navigate an important stretch of the season without the midfielder who knits together defence and attack, and they must manage his recovery with the long term in mind after two stop-start years.

Maresca inherits a squad used to winning, but also one used to Rodri being the constant in the chaos. His absence will test systems, squad depth and the new manager’s adaptability from day one.

Rodri, meanwhile, steps away from the spotlight again, swapping the roar of stadiums for the slow, lonely grind of rehabilitation. The World Cup showed he can still dominate the game’s highest level. City’s season may hinge on how quickly – and how fully – he can do it again.