Man City players have ´exciting´ chance to fill in for Rodri, says Stones

John Stones says that while Manchester City will miss Rodri, his absence will give other players in the team a chance to shine.

The Spaniard suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury that required surgery in City’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League on September 22.

Rodri played 50 matches in all competitions for Pep Guardiola’s side last season, proving a key player as they won a fourth-consecutive top-flight title.

The team often struggled without him in the squad though, with their win rate dropping from 76% to 55.6% in the nine games they played without him.

With Kevin De Bruyne also currently on the sidelines, Rico Lewis, Mateo Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan played in midfield in their 1-1 draw with Newcastle United on Saturday.

And Stones, who has also been utilised in midfield by Guardiola in the past, says it is an exciting opportunity for the other players to step into the role.

“He’s a big miss for us, we all know that,” Stones told TNT Sports.

“We’re still in contact off the pitch, and we miss him on there, as we do anyone who gets injured.

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“We all wish him a speedy recovery. He’s a big presence for us on the pitch in how he plays the game and what he’s done over the past few years.

“But then again, we’ve got incredible players that can play in that position, and it’s time and a chance for them to, not step up, but step in and show their qualities, whoever plays in that position which is quite fluid sometimes.

“He’ll be a big miss for us this season, as anyone would who had that injury. It’s exciting for us as players to fill that position and see what comes of it.”

City’s next match is against Slavan Bratislava in the Champions League on Tuesday.