Manchester City’s Midfield Crisis Deepens: Guardiola’s New Plan After Foden, Kovacic & Rodri Injuries

Manchester City’s midfield crisis is deepening as Pep Guardiola faces the tough challenge of preparing his team without three key players: Phil Foden, Mateo Kovacic, and Rodri. All three are sidelined due to injuries just as the Premier League season is about to begin, forcing the manager to rethink his options in the vital No. 6 position.

Rodri’s injury has been a long-standing concern for City fans. The Spain international has been out with a groin problem and will miss at least the first three league games. His absence has already affected City’s midfield stability, as he is a crucial figure in breaking up opposition attacks and controlling the tempo of the game. Now, the situation has worsened with Kovacic’s injury setback. Originally thought to be a short-term issue, Kovacic’s achilles injury now looks set to keep him out until October, leaving City even thinner in midfield.

Adding to Guardiola’s worries, Phil Foden has also suffered a knock, further limiting his senior midfield options. Foden’s ability to drive forward and create chances is vital for City’s attacking style, so losing him at the start of the season is a significant blow.

Guardiola was clear about his current midfield situation in a recent media briefing. “We have three. Kova is injured until September or October, Rodri is coming back after six months and [we have] Nico [Gonzalez],” he explained. The coach acknowledged that while players like Ilkay Gundogan and Tijjani Reijnders can fill in the role, they usually prefer more attacking positions. This leaves Guardiola with limited natural options in the defensive midfield spot.

Pep Guardiola: “In the years of the treble and quadruple, John Stones was massively important for us.

He is a top class player but last season he played less than 30% of the games for us. He was injured a lot of time.

What we want is for him to be fit. He didn’t play much in… pic.twitter.com/RZ9VxBuPCp

— City Report (@cityreport_) August 10, 2025

The absence of Kovacic is especially damaging because he was expected to be the perfect bridge while Rodri recovers. Now, Nico Gonzalez, who has been called “mini-Rodri” by Guardiola because of his playing style, may be called upon to step up. After a period of limited playing time and falling out of favour last season, this could be a crucial chance for Gonzalez to prove himself and regain confidence.

City’s opening fixtures against Wolverhampton, Tottenham, and Brighton will test Guardiola’s squad depth as they attempt to manage without Rodri and Kovacic. The midfield, the engine room of the team, will be under intense scrutiny, and the coach will be hoping that Gonzalez and others can deliver solid performances.

Guardiola’s experience and tactical flexibility will be vital as he navigates this midfield challenge. He may need to experiment with players like Gundogan and Reijnders in deeper roles or alter his usual system to cope with the injury crisis. However, the hope remains that his key players will recover quickly to avoid the problem worsening and to keep Manchester City competitive at the highest level.

Injuries are a part of football, but losing three midfielders so close to the start of the season is a major headache for any manager. For Guardiola and City, this challenge comes at a critical time, and how they handle it could shape their campaign in the coming months. The eyes will be on the midfielders stepping into the spotlight and whether they can help the champions maintain their dominance in English football.