S Poddar
Matheus Nunes was confident of filling Rodri’s void while he is out following injury. Rodri, a key player in the Manchester City lineup, suffered ligament damage to his right knee during the 2-2 draw against Arsenal last Sunday. He is so badly injured that he could miss the rest of the season. That would be rather problematic for City, which is bidding for its fifth consecutive Premier League title and a second triumph in the Champions League.
Rodri, 28, is admitted to specialists in Spain after suffering an injury during initial tests carried out on him in Manchester. The extent of the injury was yet to be fully known but the promises from the outlook were not favorable, creating a significant void in City’s midfield. For City manager Pep Guardiola, Rodri is “irreplaceable, a description many feel the same regarding the Spaniard, especially about his gigantic role since their comeback.
Still, not one to be deterred, Nunes-the man signed for a ridiculous £47.25m from Wolverhampton Wanderers in August-is not bothered. He scored during City’s comfortable 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Watford recently and can operate at times to replace the service of Rodri in his preferred No. 6 role. The Portuguese international feels that by losing Rodri, there will indeed be a setback, but there is enough depth in the team to compensate for this and he is ready to step up and carry out his task.
“We are going to have to fill the void because it is a huge loss, but whoever is on the pitch will perform well,” said Nunes, thinking about the task ahead. “At Wolves, I played much more as a winger, and last year here I played much more as a No. 10, but at Sporting Lisbon, I was often playing in a double pivot, so I’ve used every position now.”. I strive hard and give my contribution every single time that coach puts me on the field, but I know the other guys are ready as well because we have so much quality in the team.
Nunes’ confidence is based on the fact that the team is pretty deep, and they’ve had a very good run in terms of overcoming injury setbacks. He cited that even last year, City still managed to be at their best even with several key players injured, including Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne. “We have proven that if one player is out, there is always another one ready to step in with the best quality,” said Nunes. “Last year, it happened with Erling and Kevin and we were able to win the title. This year, I know we’ll be the same.”
This 25-year-old midfielder is very versatile with so many roles, so Guardiola really needs him now since the team is indeed going through a very difficult period.
Throughout his career, Nunes has experienced playing across a lot of positions. This allows him to become more than willing to make any sacrifice to ensure that his City keeps doing well.
While visibly frustrated about Rodri’s injury, Guardiola remains calm and looks for answers. Speaking after Tuesday’s Carabao Cup win, the City boss gave a brief update on Rodri’s condition: “He is strong, sad, of course, and waiting for the final decision on what he has to do. We don’t want the injury, but we will have a good season. I expect a lot from my players, and I have a duty to find a solution, even if Rodri is irreplaceable.”
Losing Rodri must be stressful on the others, but yet this team is still very cohesive and balanced as a whole. It has been constructed on more than just brilliance on an individual level; City has been pretty well-rounded and dynamic so that Guardiola has enough personnel for this, especially when considering his midfielders such as Nunes and Kalvin Phillips.
That is a quality depth, and the confidence he gives himself, as well as to the strength of the squad at such a crucial hour, is comforting for fans. For sure, the versatility and experience of Nunes will help City overcome this hurdle and ride through this storm until its midfield maestro returns. Replacing someone like Rodri is not going to be easy, but surely it could be Nunes who helped City get through this moment until the return of their midfielder maestro.
As the season reaches its half-way mark, you’d anticipate that Nunes’ impact is heightened. Still, with his fitness complemented by a different class of talent, City may take it up to their benchmark level of excellence and continue their campaigns in other competitions in pursuit of silverware. Only time will tell whether the team will stay the course, or at least as the quotes from Nunes indicate, Manchester City isn’t going to lose any steam anytime soon.
