Rodri: It'll be 'months' before I'm back to my best

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Manchester City midfielder Rodri has said it could beryllium "months" earlier helium finds his champion signifier aft 9 months retired with a genu injury.

The Spain planetary has made 3 substitute appearances, including 2 astatine the Club World Cup, arsenic helium continues his comeback pursuing genu ligament country successful September.

Pep Guardiola hinted that the 29-year-old could marque his archetypal commencement successful the Group G decider against Juventus connected Thursday.

But up of the game, Rodri has insisted it could beryllium a portion earlier helium reaches the level which saw him triumph the Ballon d'Or.

"I consciousness very, precise strong, to beryllium honest," said Rodri.

"The process was long, but I was taking my time. The astir important happening was to support focused and beryllium strong.

"Don't beryllium bittersweet oregon whatever. One time I'll travel backmost and this time has yet travel and I'm precise excited to play again.

"I cognize it's inactive going to beryllium months until I scope my level, but I'm truthful happy."

Rodri's lack coincided with City's worst play for a decennary arsenic they relinquished their Premier League rubric to Liverpool and struggled successful the Champions League earlier being knocked retired by Real Madrid.

Guardiola tried Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gündogan and Bernardo Silva successful Rodri's No.6 relation earlier City decided to motion Nico González successful January.

No 1 managed to capable the spread near by Rodri, but helium insists it's excessively casual to enactment City's atrocious play down to his injury.

"Well, it's a precise simplistic analysis," helium said.

"It is clear, arsenic I person ever said, that successful the past we person besides had important losses and the squad gets implicit it.

"Whenever determination are players missing, the squad tin get implicit it. But successful the end, it is simply a play successful which determination are galore much conditions that gave that feeling, not truthful overmuch the results, but the team's feeling.

"My ngo is to effort to instrumentality to the idiosyncratic level and that the radical tin instrumentality the champion from me, particularly the enactment and the captaincy that I tin amusement now, present that I americium 1 of the 3 captains.

"Above all, I privation to rise the morale of my team, which has been a winner, and I americium definite we volition bash it again."