NEWCASTLE (Reuters) – Manchester City must find solutions to replace Rodri in midfield after the injured Spaniard was ruled out for the rest of the season, but Rico Lewis and Mateo Kovacic did well to cope in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Newcastle United, Pep Guardiola said.
Rodri has been City’s lynchpin in midfield but the 28-year-old will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and undergoing surgery, leaving Guardiola with selection headaches.
Guardiola said 19-year-old Lewis and Kovacic were “magnificent” and added that he could not play Bernardo Silva in a deeper role.
“I know you are going to ask me all the time, but he (Rodri) is not there. Kova, Bernardo, Rico did well, but I have to find solutions. I would love Rodri to be here,” Guardiola said.
“I see my team and recognise them perfectly. We had chances to score and in midfield we were strong. The issue was balls in behind.
“But sometimes it happens and you have to adapt. We had chances to score, but this is their stadium and they had chances to score, so I’m happy (with a point).”
Full back Josko Gvardiol opened the scoring for City with a superb display of movement and skill at St. James’ Park, and Guardiola said he was not aware he had such a good goalscorer on his hands when he signed the Croatian, who has now netted his fifth of the year.
“In small spaces he’s really good, especially in the middle, he had the ability to turn and the finishing (was good). He’s really, really good, but no, I didn’t count (on his goalscoring skills),” Guardiola said.
Striker Erling Haaland failed to score for the first time this season after netting 10 goals in his first five games, and the Norwegian was visibly bleeding on his left ankle with his sock also ripped after taking a few knocks.
When asked about his injury, Guardiola had a simple explanation, saying: “Yeah, Premier League.”
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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