Rodri’s long road back from a torn ACL just hit another pothole. The Manchester City midfielder, who won the 2024 Ballon d’Or before a devastating knee injury derailed his season, was pulled from the FIFA Club World Cup round-of-16 match against Al-Hilal on July 1 after just 47 minutes on the pitch.
He had entered the game as a substitute in the 53rd minute. By the 100th minute, he was already done.
What happened against Al-Hilal
Manchester City fell 4-3 to Al-Hilal in what turned out to be a chaotic round-of-16 encounter.
The Spaniard had been brought on as part of a measured reintegration plan. He’d been eased back through bench appearances in the group stage, with the coaching staff clearly treating his return with caution. This was only his fifth game since coming back from the ACL tear he suffered in September 2024, an injury that kept him sidelined for roughly eight months.