Manchester City will be without star midfielder Rodri for their next three domestic matches, including a Premier League showdown with Arsenal, following his red card in the Citizens' 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The 27-year-old has established himself as a key cog in Pep Guardiola's machine and has developed into one of the finest holding midfielders in world football during his four-year spell at the Etihad Stadium.
Rodri played more minutes than any other City player in their historic treble-winning campaign in 2022-23, and he scored the decisive goal against Inter Milan to help the Citizens win their maiden Champions League trophy in June.
The Spanish lynchpin has since begun the new campaign in impressive fashion, contributing with three goals and two assists in seven appearances across all competitions, netting a dramatic late winner in a 2-1 top-flight win over Sheffield United last month.
Rodri was unsurprisingly named in Guardiola's starting lineup for this weekend's Premier League home clash with Forest, and the Citizens were in cruise control at half time courtesy of first-half strikes from Phil Foden and Erling Haaland.
Rodri was given a red card for this altercation with Gibbs-White. pic.twitter.com/fri41oDzak
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 23, 2023
However, just 27 seconds into the second half, Rodri was shown a straight red card for violent conduct following a heated exchange with Morgan Gibbs-White when shielding the ball by the corner flag.
Rodri and Gibbs-White initially butted heads before the pair began to push each other, but City's No.16 raised his hands towards the neck of the Forest midfielder, and that was enough for on-field referee Anthony Taylor to brandish the red card, with the VAR officials concurring with the decision.
According to Opta, Rodri's dismissal was the fastest second-half sending off on record in the Premier League since the 2006-07 campaign.
Ten-man Man City eventually held on to claim a 2-0 victory over Forest and extend their perfect start to the new Premier League season, but they will now have to cope without one of their key players for the next three domestic games, someone who was described as a "complete" an "exceptional" midfielder by Guardiola in the build-up to Saturday's game.
Rodri sees red! 🟥
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 23, 2023
It means the Spaniard will miss Man City's trip to Arsenal...#MCINFO pic.twitter.com/8xUCMQ26Gb
Rodri will firstly miss City's EFL Cup third-round trip to Newcastle United next Wednesday, before sitting out of the Premier League meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux next Saturday.
The Spaniard will be able to play in City's Champions League group-stage encounter with RB Leipzig in Germany on October 4, but will be forced to return to the sidelines and serve the final game of his three-match ban four days later for the Premier League clash with title rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
In the absence of Rodri, Guardiola will likely turn to summer signings Matheus Nunes and Mateo Kovacic to operate as deep-lying midfielders, with the latter closing in on a return to first-team action after missing the last three games with a back muscle issue.
Kalvin Phillips, who was brought on in the win over Forest following Rodri's red card, is another option for Guardiola, while versatile teenager Rico Lewis has also played in midfield under the Catalan boss.
Oliver Thomas
