After recovering from an ankle injury, Manchester City’s Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has returned to training.
Meanwhile, the club’s midfield anchor, Rodri, has taken a significant step towards recovery. The Spanish star has begun training with the team for the first time after his injury.
A video of Rodri’s return to training spread on social media on Thursday, which was later confirmed by City’s manager, Pep Guardiola. Alongside Rodri, Haaland also returned to training after being sidelined for a month due to his ankle injury.
Rodri sustained a severe injury during a 2-2 draw with Arsenal last September, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which required surgery.
Rodri started individual training two months ago. On March 1, City posted a video on Instagram showing the 28-year-old doing some drills. Now, he has joined his teammates for group training.
Guardiola could not specify the exact date of Rodri’s return to match action, leaving it entirely in the hands of the medical team.
“When the physios and doctors say Rodri is ready to play, only then will he play,” Guardiola said. “But the doctors must tell me that. It was a serious injury. The doctors said it usually takes 9 to 11 months to recover.”
“He’s feeling good and training every day, but we must take it step by step to avoid any setbacks or new injuries.”
Haaland has been out since March 30 after suffering an ankle injury during the FA Cup quarter-final against Bournemouth, which City won 2-1. The striker has missed the last five league matches and was also absent in the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest, which City won 2-0.
City will face Wolverhampton Wanderers at home in their next Premier League match on Friday. Haaland is unlikely to feature in that match.
Currently, City sits fourth in the league with 61 points from 34 matches.
