It is looking very likely that Rodri will remain out for Manchester City when they travel to Aston Villa on Sunday. While his thigh injury may not keep him out too much longer, manager Pep Guardiola has already ruled him out of this one, with what he said six days ago. Pep also has two players with ankle injuries that are fresh concerns for Sunday: Abdudokir Khusanov and Nico Gonzalez.
Aston Villa vs Manchester City FYIs
Kick-off time: 3PM GMT, Sunday, Oct. 26, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK
Starting Lineup Predictions for both teams: go here
Form Guide Premier League: Aston Villa DDWWW Manchester City WDWWW
Premier League Position: Villa 11 pts, 12th Manchester City 2nd, 16 pts
Result Probability: Aston Villa win 23% Draw 24% Manchester City win 53%
Team News for Both Sides
Regarding Khusanov, the City manager said: “I think he’s close to coming back, but still, I think he’s not ready. He had an injury in a dangerous, dangerous position in his body.”
On Nico, Pep said: “I didn’t see the doctors, and we’ll see today and tomorrow. Something with his feet.”
Both are essentially late fitness test or 50/50 propositions for this one.
Shifting gears to Villa, Lucas Digne (ankle/foot) is a fresh injury concern, but he could still be in contention to feature here. Otherwise the situation with them remains the same.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter