Manchester City suffered their second draw in a row this season and the one common factor...no Rodri.

🚨🔵 Pep Guardiola: “Unfortunately Rodri got the worst outcome”.

“He got surgery this morning, ACL and some meniscus. This season is over for Rodri”.

“Next season, he will be here”. pic.twitter.com/10EbPuon9n

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 27, 2024

Yet again City are without the main man and yet again you can already see early signs of the best team in the world starting to crumble in midfield. Just like we saw yesterday, and going back to the Arsenal fixture, after Rodri's injury, they got lucky with Trossard's red card otherwise the Blues would have been in heaps of trouble.

Against Arsenal, City had momentum at times and the likes of Kovacic and Akanji were doing well at covering for the injured Spanish man but there will always be a massive void that needs filling in.

Pep Guardiola yesterday: “You want a war? Now we war."

Man City draw to Newcastle and Arsenal score a stoppage time winner. A box-office start to 'the war' 🍿 pic.twitter.com/EKUSPhUT62

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 28, 2024

Against Newcastle, there were a punch of passages of play from Newcastle where you sit there and think 'Rodri would have blocked that' or 'Rodri would have been there then' and the consequences were suffered from not signing a replacement for Rodri as Anthony Gordon's lead up would have well and truly been shut down by the Balon D'or nominee.

Going forward, the likes Manuel Akanji and Rico Lewis have played beside Rodri in the defensive midfield role and have performed extremely well but can they really be the main man to stop everyone?.

Rico Lewis: “We know how important Rodri is but it is OVER now, we can't do anything about it. WE’VE GOT TO CRACK ON AND SORT IT OUT OURSELVES!” 😤 pic.twitter.com/zRpvHXBf8v

— City Report (@cityreport_) September 29, 2024

Matteo Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan too but they would not suit the 6 role considering on some occasions they are the furthest player forward on the pitch. An in loan Kalvin Phillips has not even been considered to be recalled from his loan at Ipswich as the former Leeds man still struggles to find form.

The best fit for Rodri right now is John Stones. Everyone saw what he was capable of in the Treble winning season and it shocked the world. For a defender, he is sextremely technically gifted and can do everything that Rodri can.

JOHN STONES MAKES IT 2-2 IN THE 98TH MIN 👊 pic.twitter.com/f1Prx8pZAH

— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 22, 2024

If not John Stones, then Pep Guardiola and Txiki need to run into January with a fantastic shortlist of defensive midfielders that can be signed.

For me, the perfect cover for Rodri pic.twitter.com/bSNfBjEjWm

— ¹⁰ (@SxrgioSZN) September 30, 2024