Manchester City midfielder Rodri has admitted to feeling fatigued and pleaded for a rest amid the club's intense pursuit of a historic double treble. The Spanish international's candid remarks came after City's thrilling 3-3 draw with Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday.
Rodri, who has played 3,498 minutes for City this season, second only to teammate Phil Foden, suggested that players may need a break in the coming weeks to combat the effects of a grueling schedule. "I do need a rest," Rodri said. "Let's see how we speak, how we live the situation. Sometimes it is what it is. I need to adjust. It [rest] is something we are planning, yeah."
The 27-year-old had previously held discussions with the club over his workload last summer, warning that featuring in up to 60 matches is "not healthy" and that pushing his body to "the limit" couldn't happen for a second consecutive year. Despite these concerns, Rodri has made 47 appearances for club and country this season, with City facing a potential 13 more matches if they progress to the finals of both the Champions League and FA Cup.
City manager Pep Guardiola had questioned suggestions that Rodri appeared jaded after last weekend's 4-2 victory at Crystal Palace, where the midfielder looked leggy and was uncharacteristically sloppy in possession. However, Rodri's dip in performance continued in the first half against Real Madrid before he re-found his composure.
Rodri pointed to home advantage in the second leg as a potential boost for City, saying, "It's one game in our home now and we are very strong there. We know how strong we are in our home. The key thing on Tuesday night - we knew whatever happened it wasn't going to be over, even if we won or we lost."
The midfielder also highlighted the team's mentality in coming back from a 2-1 deficit at halftime, stating, "We showed our mentality to come back, to be honest. The media has spoken about rest and it's important. They were a bit fresher in the first half than us, it's normal. But I think the mentality of the team to go against them and come back with those goals sums up the mentality of the champions we are."
City's upcoming Premier League match against Luton Town on Saturday could present an opportunity to give Rodri some rest, but finding a suitable understudy has proven difficult. Kalvin Phillips has struggled to fill the role, while Mateo Kovacic, the most likely deputy, had a challenging spell at the base of the midfield in September's defeat at Wolves when Rodri was suspended.
The balancing act between managing player workloads and maintaining a competitive edge will be crucial for Manchester City as they continue their pursuit of an unprecedented double treble. With key players like Rodri and John Stones, who played through an injury in the latter stages of the Real Madrid match, feeling the effects of a demanding schedule, Guardiola and his staff will need to carefully navigate the remaining fixtures to ensure the team's success.
