**Manchester City to Begin Title Defence Without Key Midfielder Rodri**
Manchester City will face a challenge as they kick off their Premier League title defence without their key midfielder, Rodri. Manager Pep Guardiola confirmed that the Spanish international has been ruled out of Sunday's season opener against Chelsea.
Rodri, an influential 28-year-old, only recently returned to training after sustaining an injury that forced him to leave the pitch during Spain's 2-1 victory over England in the Euro 2024 final last month.
While England trio Phil Foden, John Stones, and Kyle Walker are hopeful of making an appearance at Stamford Bridge after their post-Euros break, Rodri has not been given the green light to return to the pitch.
When asked about Rodri's availability for the Chelsea match, Guardiola responded, "No chance. He is in training, but I haven’t seen him yet. He feels good, but we’ll have to see how he feels after training."
Rodri's absence is an early setback for City's quest to secure a fifth consecutive Premier League title.
City is eager to start their title defence strongly in London, but Guardiola acknowledged that fitness concerns might hinder them during the opening weekend. Foden, Stones, and Walker are not yet fully match-fit, having only returned to training midweek after their holidays.
"I’m pretty sure they won’t be ready for 90 minutes, maybe yes, maybe 15 minutes," Guardiola said. "The important thing is that everybody is back, and except for Oscar [Bobb], the rest are okay."
Oscar Bobb was scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday to repair a fractured bone in his leg following a non-contact injury during training on Wednesday. Guardiola expects the young Norwegian winger to be sidelined for up to four months.
"Unfortunately, he had a big impact and got injured," Guardiola said. "He is having surgery this afternoon. Hopefully, it will go well, and he will be back in three or four months. We are so sad for him."
Bobb's injury follows the recent departure of Argentine forward Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid. Guardiola hinted that the club might need to dip into the transfer market for replacements.
"Maybe or maybe not, we will see," Guardiola said. "I’m really pleased with the squad I have. We will see. I’m set. We will see what happens in the market. We can continue to January in that way or maybe we will add some players."
**Chelsea Aims to Close the Gap as They Host Manchester City**
On the other side, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is confident that his newly rebuilt team will soon challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title.
Maresca, who was hired from Leicester during the close season, is Chelsea’s sixth manager since Todd Boehly’s consortium took over the club in 2022. Chelsea finished 28 points behind champions City last season and have undergone significant changes this summer, with Boehly's spending spree resulting in a dangerously bloated squad.
After guiding Leicester to promotion from the Championship last season, Maresca faces a baptism of fire in the Premier League against City. However, the 44-year-old Italian, who was part of Guardiola’s coaching staff before his stint at Leicester, is optimistic that Chelsea can give his former boss a tough time if given enough time to implement his ideas.
"For me, the big difference at this moment between us and the teams dominating English football is just a matter of time," Maresca said. "Clubs that have worked with the same manager for nine years, eight years. We’ve been working with the same manager for one month. With time, we are going to close the gap. Hopefully, it can happen very soon."
City's last visit to Stamford Bridge ended in a thrilling 4-4 draw last November, with former City player Cole Palmer scoring a last-minute equalizer from the penalty spot for Chelsea.
That match was one of two draws in last season’s league meetings, ending a six-game winning streak for Guardiola's side against the West Londoners. Chelsea's last victory over City before that streak was in the 2021 Champions League final when Kai Havertz, now with Arsenal, scored the only goal of the game.
That victory marked Chelsea's third consecutive win over City that season, including an FA Cup meeting, though City won the league match in London that season 3-1, with a young Phil Foden among the scorers.
