Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has defended his side following their heavy Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, insisting that the absence of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri was not to blame for the result, even while acknowledging that any team in the world would feel his loss.
Manchester City were comprehensively outclassed in a 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Premier League champions Arsenal at the start of the season, with Rodri unavailable after undergoing back surgery. Speaking after the match, Maresca sought to strike a balance between recognising his midfielder’s importance and warning against using his absence as an excuse.
“Rodri is a player who just won the World Cup, Ballon d’Or,” Maresca said. “He is a top player that all the teams need a player like him. It is not about if we miss Rodri or not.” He added that several of City’s other players had performed well in his absence, singling out Nico Elliott for a strong debut and praising Mateo Kovačić’s contribution, before conceding: “We can find many things [wrong] after this kind of defeat.”
Rodri, who was named player of the tournament as he helped Spain lift the World Cup, underwent back surgery in late July, a procedure that was expected to rule him out of the start of the season. Maresca had earlier confirmed that the 30-year-old was recovering well and would return to Manchester once his rehabilitation period concluded.
The Community Shield defeat came amid intense transfer speculation over Rodri’s future, with City in the final year of his contract. Barcelona have shown strong interest in signing the Spain international, with reports indicating City rejected an initial €50 million offer from the Catalan club, while suggesting they would only consider a sale in the region of €80 million. Real Madrid have also been credited with interest, though it is understood Rodri has shown a preference for a move to Barcelona over their fierce rivals should he leave the Etihad Stadium this summer.
Speculation intensified further after a photograph appeared to show Rodri travelling on a budget flight from Madrid to Liverpool, fuelling rumours over his future. Addressing the uncertainty directly, Maresca declined to rule out a departure. “First of all, we already said the transfer window is open; we can buy and sell players, anything can happen,” he said. “I’ve just seen Rodri now in the building, I gave him a big hug, he looks good, so we’ll see what happens.”
With the transfer window still open and Rodri’s future unresolved, Manchester City face the challenge of adjusting to life without their influential midfielder for at least the opening weeks of the season, while continuing to manage growing uncertainty over whether one of the club’s most decorated players in recent years will remain at the Etihad beyond the current window.
