Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been ruled out for the rest of the season, manager Pep Guardiola confirmed on Friday.
The club have now learnt the influential Spain international suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage in last Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Premier League title rivals Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium. The 28-year-old has undergone surgery and will not be available again until next season.
"Surgery this morning, ACL and next season he will be here," said Guardiola. "This season is over. Unfortunately we got the worst but these things happen. We will be there to support him in his recovery step by step.
"What he gives us, we don’t have a similar player. But the others can all together replace what Rodri has given since his arrival to us. We will have to do it as a team and find a way to play a lot of matches without an important player for us.
"If we don’t win then it is because of Rodri. We are stronger with him and stronger with [Nathan] Ake and [Oscar] Bobb and Kevin [De Bruyne] but that is what it is. We don’t want it but it is football. As a club we have magnificent players and we will find a solution."
Asked if City would sign a replacement in the January window, Guardiola added: "We will talk, we will see what is going on. We have time to see."
Rodri's injury, sustained in an innocuous tussle with Thomas Partey, was one of several flashpoints in a heated game between the two rivals.
City's players accused Arsenal of consistently bending the rules as they sought to hold on to their 2-1 lead after Leandro Trossard had been sent off.
Erling Haaland, in particular, was fired up and involved in a running battle with the Arsenal players. He threw the ball into Gabriel's head after John Stones' last-gasp goal made it 2-2.
John Stones celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal in their 2-2 Premier League draw with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on September 22, 2024. AFP
City defender John Stones scores to make it 2-2. AP
John Stones celebrates after scoring Manchester City's late leveller. Getty Images
A dejected Ben White of Arsenal after Manchester City's late goal. Reuters
Riccardo Calafiori celebrates after scoring for Arsenal in the 22nd minute. Getty Images
Gabriel heads home Arsenal's second goal in first-half injury time. Reuters
Arsenal players react as referee Michael Oliver shows a red card to Leandro Trossard, centre. Getty Images
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta remonstrates with the fourth official after Leandro Trossard's sending off. AP
Arsenal defender Gabriel celebrates after scoring. PA
Riccardo Calafiori scores for Arsenal to make it 1-1. Getty Images
Manchester City's Kyle Walker argues with referee Michael Oliver after Riccardo Calafiori's goal for Arsenal. PA
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. AP
Erling Haaland puts Manchester City 1-0 up after nine minutes. Reuters
City midfielder Rodri after picking up an injury that saw him taken off early in the game. PA
A big screen at the Etihad Stadium highlights fact that Erling Haaland has reached 100 goals for Manchester City. Getty Images
Arsenal defender Gabriel heads over the bar in the first half. Reuters
Erling Haaland celebrates with teammates after scoring for Manchester City. Getty Images
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, formerly an assistant to Guardiola, was asked on Friday whether the rivalry had damaged their relationship.
But Arteta said: "I love him, I respect him, I admire him and his team and everything that he does. This is sport and a personal relationship.
"If my relationship has to be damaged because one draws and the other one wins when we play against each other, the amount of times that we have lost, then I wouldn’t talk to him anymore.
"It’s sport and it will never get in the way of a personal relationship for sure.”
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Countries offering golden visas
UK Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
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The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11 What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time. TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
