Rodri could play for Manchester City before the end of the season as Pep Guardiola offered fresh hope on his midfielder's recovery from injury. The midfielder has been out since September with a knee injury that was expected to see him miss the whole season.
Only recently, Guardiola cautioned against Rodri rushing back to be fit this season and advised the Ballon d'Or winner to focus on getting back to full fitness for the start of next term. City published a video on Rodri returning to the training pitch for individual fitness work this week, and Guardiola told ITV he was 'close' to coming back to confuse the timescale for his return.
And while a return is still thought to be months away rather than weeks, Guardiola hinted at the tempting prospect of the Spaniard playing in the Premier League again this season.
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Rodri has been around the City squad in Manchester for a few weeks now, but his role in the warm-ups vs Plymouth as an onlooker in the middle of the pitch turned heads. Rodri kicked a ball up and passed it between his feet before playing a two-touch game in the dressing room with his teammates.
"The fans must know they are not the only ones who are excited," Guardiola said. "It's been five months, six months, after the international break could be. But one step at a time, we don't have to make stupid decisions to come from weeks earlier.
"It's good but still he's not close to coming back, I'd say. But he's touching the ball today, in the locker room making touches with the players. He feels confident, he feels more happy. I could not expect before [that Rodri returns] before the end of the season, not even the [Club] World Cup, in the Premier League maybe it's going to happen."
Guardiola also cleared up how long Nathan Ake could be out for after suggesting he will be missing for a 'long time' like City's other injured central defenders.
Ake was tested on Sunday to determine the extent of the issue that forced him off against Plymouth and Guardiola is hoping for positive news - even if he also said it is a 'miracle' that City signed Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis in January to help them qualify for the Champions League.
He said of Ake: "Tomorrow [Sunday] we'll do the test but he struggles sometimes with the feet, probably, it's been like this the whole season, the central defenders. Hopefully the young ones, they don't have a lot of stuff in their life, can sustain it and help us."
