FEEL THE BURN
Rodri pleads with Pep Guardiola to stop picking him after Man City ace warned ‘it’s not healthy’
Midfielder has proven to be a good luck charm for the Prem champions
RODRI has pleaded with Pep Guardiola to give him a rest as the Manchester City star battles against burnout.
City’s midfield enforcer extended his personal unbeaten run to 66 City matches in Tuesday’s chaotic 3-3 Champions League draw against Real Madrid — but he has missed all of the club’s last five defeats.
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And Rodri, who warned City last August his workload was “not healthy”, admitted: “I do need a rest.
"Let’s see how we speak, how we live the situation. Sometimes it is what it is. I need to adjust but rest is something we are planning.”
Guardiola may leave out anchorman Rodri, 27, for Saturday’s home Premier League game against Luton.
When he was suspended for three games this season, the champions lost all three — at Wolves and Arsenal in the Prem and at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup.
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Rodri has already played 47 matches for City and Spain this season — and last term he made 56 appearances in his club’s Treble-winning campaign, missing only five games.
City, a point behind Prem leaders Arsenal, have a potential 13 matches to go this season if they reach the finals of the FA Cup and Champions League.
Rodri felt Real were “fresher” than City in the quarter-final first leg in the Bernabeu, after Carlo Ancelotti’s LaLiga leaders enjoyed a week off from domestic action, while Guardiola’s men travelled to Crystal Palace.
He said: “The media has spoken about rest — and it’s important.
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“They were a bit fresher in the first half than us, it’s normal. But the mentality of the team to go against them and come back with those goals sums up the mentality of the champions we are.”
And Kevin de Bruyne returned to training with his City team-mates yesterday morning.
Haaland slapped by referee during Man City's clash with Real Madrid
The midfielder made the starting XI in the Bernabeu but ended up on the bench before kick-off after being sick in the dressing room.
It was believed to be food poisoning rather than a virus. City hope he should be fine to face Luton.
How the title run-ins compare
It's going to go right down to the wire with just one point separating the top three - but how do Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City's run-ins compare?
ARSENAL: Aston Villa (H), Wolves (A) Chelsea (H), Spurs (A), Bournemouth (H), Man Utd (A) and Everton (H)
LIVERPOOL: Crystal Palace (H), Fulham (A), Everton (A), West Ham (A), Tottenham (H), Aston Villa (A), Wolves (H)
MAN CITY: Luton (H), Brighton (A), Nottingham Forest (A), Wolves (H), Fulham (A), West Ham (H) and Tottenham (A TBC)
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