Rodri’s fitness for Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley remains unresolved after Pep Guardiola gave a cryptic update on whether the midfielder will return for Manchester City against Chelsea.
Rodri has been out for weeks with a groin injury he sustained in City’s 2-1 win over Arsenal and has missed five games as a result. Guardiola was asked about Rodri’s fitness ahead of City’s trip to Wembley and declined to give a clear timeline, underlining that Manchester City are at full strength apart from the injured midfielder.
The practical evidence of City’s depth was visible in their 3-0 win over Crystal Palace, when Guardiola rested several key players. Erling Haaland sat out that match and Omar Marmoush deputised in his place. Jeremy Doku was also given a breather before coming on as a substitute on the hour, and Matheus Nunes started before being replaced by Nathan Ake. Those rotation choices left City able to record a comfortable victory even while managing personnel ahead of Saturday’s showdown.
City are chasing a domestic treble this season: they have already won the Carabao Cup, beating Arsenal 2-0 in March with Nico O’Reilly scoring both goals, and they remain deep in the Premier League title race, sitting two points behind league leaders Arsenal with two games left. The FA Cup final against Chelsea is therefore the next crucial match in a packed and consequential run-in.
The numbers and recent form give weight to Guardiola’s cautious stance. Rodri’s groin problem came in the same 2-1 victory over Arsenal that contributed to City’s busy March schedule; missing five matches has not healed the question about whether he can return for a single one-off match at Wembley. Guardiola’s refusal to be definitive—combined with the club’s public position that they are otherwise at full strength—frames the situation as manageable but incomplete.
The tension is immediate: Manchester City have lost their last two FA Cup finals, beaten by Crystal Palace in last season’s showpiece and by Manchester United in 2024. A midfield reshaped by Rodri’s continued absence would be another unwanted variable in a competition where City’s recent finals record has not matched their general dominance elsewhere. Guardiola’s rotation against Crystal Palace showcased the squad’s capability to cover absences, but finals are different by nature, and City’s poor recent return in the FA Cup sharpens the stakes.
For Chelsea, the prospect of facing a City side possibly without its primary defensive midfielder is an obvious hope; for City, the choice is whether to risk bringing Rodri back from a groin problem that has already cost him five matches. Guardiola’s cryptic update leaves the club with a pragmatic public posture—ready, in theory, except for one key player—while masking the specific decision the manager will have to make before kickoff.
All signs point to Manchester City taking the field at Wembley without Rodri: he has missed five games with a groin injury sustained in the 2-1 win over Arsenal, Guardiola would not commit to his return and the club has positioned itself as full strength aside from that absence. That leaves Saturday’s Chelsea Vs Man City Fa Cup Final likely to be contested with City relying on the squad depth that secured a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace rather than on a straight return for their injured midfielder.
