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Enzo Maresca confirms Rodri’s back surgery: For how long will the Manchester City star be out?
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca confirmed that Rodri will undergo surgery on his back and will be out for a while. Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Rodri will undergo back surgery, addressing a lumbar issue the Spanish midfielder had been carrying for some time. The procedure is set to take place in the coming days, just weeks after Rodri returned from Spain’s triumphant run at the 2026 World Cup. “Rodri is going to have surgery for a back problem, I think on Monday. He needs a vacation and a few days of rest. He has to recover and then he’ll come back here with us,” Maresca said in a press conference. The 30-year-old had reportedly considered having the operation before the tournament, but chose to postpone it in order to be available for Spain’s campaign. That decision paid off on the pitch, as Rodri lifted the trophy with his country and was named winner of the Golden Ball as the tournament’s outstanding player. Now, with the World Cup behind him, he’s turning his attention to fixing the issue that had been bothering him. 🚨 Enzo Maresca: “Rodri will have surgery on a back problem on Monday. He needs holiday, he needs to rest, recovery, and then he will be back here with us”.“Every manager wants to have Rodri, because he's a top player”. pic.twitter.com/UIr5wlj6S9— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 24, 2026 Details on the severity of the surgery have varied depending on the source, which has left some uncertainty over exactly how long City will be without their captain. What’s clear is that the club is treating the procedure as necessary to get Rodri right for the long haul of the new campaign, even if it means missing the opening weeks. When could Rodri return? Reports out of Spain, have characterized the operation as a minor, outpatient procedure that won’t require hospitalization and shouldn’t sideline Rodri for much more than four weeks, suggesting he could be back within the early stages of the season. However, other reports have painted a more cautious picture: both Yahoo Sports and NBC Sports have suggested that back surgery of this kind can require a lengthier recovery, potentially keeping Rodri out for multiple months rather than weeks. Until Manchester City provide a firmer timeline following the procedure, the exact date of his return remains unclear. Which matches could Rodri miss? Under the more conservative recovery estimates, Rodri is set to miss Manchester City’s Community Shield clash with Arsenal on August 16, along with the Premier League opener against Bournemouth on August 23. From there, he’d also be sidelined for matches against Crystal Palace and Coventry, as well as the Manchester derby against Manchester United on September 13, before the squad breaks for the international window in September. Should the longer recovery timeline prove accurate, that absence could stretch well beyond that stretch of fixtures.
Report: Arsenal are willing to include Viktor Gyokeres in a deal for Julian Alvarez
According to reports, Arsenal would be willing to include Viktor Gyokeres in a deal for Julian Alvarez. Arsenal’s chase of Julian Alvarez has taken a new turn, with the Premier League club reportedly prepared to sweeten any offer for the Argentine by throwing in one of their own stars. According to Gary Jacob of The Times, the Gunners are willing to include Viktor Gyokeres as part of a package deal for Atletico Madrid’s star forward. The move stems directly from manager Mikel Arteta, who is said to have personally asked the club’s hierarchy to go after Alvarez this summer after Arsenal missed out on Morgan Rogers. The 23-year-old ultimately joined Chelsea instead, becoming the most expensive signing in the Blues‘ history, and that setback appears to have pushed Arteta to look at Alvarez as his priority target to add another dimension to Arsenal’s attack. Including Gyokeres in the proposal signal just how far Arteta is willing to go to land Alvarez. The Swedish forward joined roughly a year ago from Sporting CP for a fee in a similar range to his current valuation of around €65 million, and he was Arsenal’s top scorer last season. Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal. (Getty Images) Alvarez and Gyokeres’ season Alvarez enters the conversation off a productive campaign at Atletico Madrid. In LaLiga alone, he scored 8 goals and added 4 assists across 29 appearances, totaling 1,902 minutes. Across all competitions, his output rose to 20 goals and 9 assists in 49 matches, including 10 goals and 4 assists in 15 Champions League appearances, tying him as Atletico’s top scorer alongside Alexander Sorloth. He carried that form into the 2026 World Cup with Argentina, where he found the net just once, delivering when it mattered most with an extra-time goal in Argentina’s 3-1 quarterfinal victory over Switzerland. Gyokeres, meanwhile, closes his first season in North London as Arsenal‘s leading scorer, with 21 goals across 55 games in all competitions, including 14 in 36 Premier League appearances. He then took that form into the World Cup with Sweden, where he scored one goal and provided two assists in a campaign that ended with his team’s elimination in the round of 32 against France.
Football Daily | Manchester United and the quest to make mythical midfield a reality
Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!Like the urban myth that you are never more than three feet away from a spider, modern footballing lore tells us Manchester United are only ever three signings away from a Premier League title challenge. With the Geopolitics World Cup in the rear-view mirror and the transfer news machine churning once more, you may have missed United being linked with just about every midfielder to ever grace a centre circle. They missed out on Elliot Anderson – who went and dubbed his new club the “kings of Manchester” – and were fooled into thinking they could snare Aurélien Tchouaméni. They danced briefly with Atalanta’s Éderson, before landing on Chelsea resale project prospect Andrey Santos and former Aston Villa linchpin Youri Tielemans. And United aren’t done with their midfield overhaul – rightly so given they have lost Casemiro to Inter Miami and Manuel Ugarte to long-term knee knack. Next up on United’s extensive longlist: Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga and Fulham’s Sander Berge, plus France GWC sensation Manu Koné as Michael Carrick eyes the final piece in his midfield puzzle.Re: Simon Mazier’s letter about the location of Iraola’s Amazon parcel (Thursday’s Football Daily). If the delivery guy is anything like ours, the player will turn up at the Etihad” – Dave Eddy.It would be even worse for Iraola to receive a card saying that his new signing has been left with a neighbour … Everton” – Paul Taverner.At least if Bezos buys into Liverpool, they get next-day delivery, music, and a TV channel. They can also send back any players they don’t want and get a full refund” – Jeff Bez Peter Arnold.Matt Targett is staying in the north east with Hull City (yesterday’s email edition)? The north east begins at the River Tees, some 110 miles north of Hull. Geography lessons needed” – Geoff Brodie (and 1,056 others). Continue reading...
Can Emery transform Aston Villa again?
Aston Villa will still be seeking another top-four finish next season - when the Premier League landscape looks certain to be a lot different from last season and Villa are without many of their previous squad. After ending their 30-year wait for a trophy with May's Europa League win, can Emery continue to produce his magic? Last season, Villa's expected points was 48.50, which would have left them 12th - eight places below where they eventually finished.