“I’m used to every position now” – Manchester City star stakes claim for replacing Rodri following injury blow

One Manchester City star has publicly staked his claim for becoming a replacement option for Rodri following the Spaniard’s injury blow earlier this week.

The 28-year-old is expected to be ruled out for several months, and potentially for the remainder of the ongoing season, having sustained knee ligament damage during the 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

As such, Pep Guardiola is being tasked with the challenge of replacing the irreplaceable, and a player that has proven to be so integral to Manchester City’s success over the last three seasons in particular, emerging as a favourite for the Ballon d’Or as a result.

Whilst it remains unknown exactly how long Rodri will be ruled out of action for this season, Manchester City have already began work trialling suitable replacement options for the former Atletico Madrid man, with one name admitting openly his desire to fill the void.

Speaking after Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Watford this week, in a contest that saw Matheus Nunes score his first goal for the club, the Portugal international admitted his belief that he could play a crucial role for Pep Guardiola following Rodri’s injury-induced absence.

“At Wolves I played more as a winger and last year here I played more as a 10 but when I played for Sporting I always played in the double pivot so I’m used to every position now,” Matheus Nunes said.

“I try to help the team every time the coach puts me on the field but I know the other guys are all ready as well because we have so much quality in the team. We’re going to have to fill the void because it’s a massive loss but whoever is on the pitch is going to perform well.

He continued, “We have shown that if any player is out we have another one that is ready and has top quality to play. Last year it happened with Erling and Kevin and we still managed to win. This year, I know we will be the same.”

Elsewhere and Croatia international Mateo Kovacic is likely to be seen as Pep Guardiola’s first-choice option to stand in for Rodri during his time away from the club, having endured early success with the 30-year-old in the position this season.

Rico Lewis and John Stones have also operated in the defensive midfield role as part of a duo, inverting inside from a starting right-back position during possession, with the former granted the system during the midweek Carabao Cup meeting with Watford this week.

There also remains the option of investing in the upcoming January transfer window for Manchester City, despite options at the right budget being somewhat limited, especially given the fact that they will continue to back-up Rodri upon his return.