Manchester City star Rodri warns that playing 60 games a season is ‘bad for my health’… as the 27-year-old midfielder is in talks with club bosses over concerns about burnout.
- Man City star Rodri made 56 appearances during his treble-winning season.
- The 27-year-old midfielder says he can’t handle that workload again.
- Fears were raised by the introduction of a new long stop time in games
Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been in talks with club bosses to reveal concerns about possible burnout.
The Spain international made 56 appearances, missing just five games, as City made history by completing a treble last season.
Rodri was the player who played the most role in Pep Guardiola’s squad, adding 4,465 minutes throughout the campaign, with Erling Haaland being the outfield player closest to that number.
Haaland, who broke goalscoring records during his debut campaign, finished 349 minutes behind Rodri, the equivalent of almost four games.
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes is the only Premier League player to have amassed more minutes, surpassing 5,000 in all competitions.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri made 56 appearances during his treble-winning season.
Erling Haaland played the equivalent of almost four games less than Rodri last season
Rodri revealed that he can’t handle that workload again, as the 27-year-old’s fears of fatigue have only increased with the introduction of new extended stop times in games, something already condemned by teammate Kevin De Bruyne.
“I don’t remember exactly the number of games I played, but I had a conversation with the club and the coach because it’s not healthy,” Rodri said.
“You can do it for one season, but when it’s two or three in a row, it can be worse for the team because your physique can drop.” So I have to be careful. We’ve already talked about that, it can’t always be like this.
Rodri, who was called up more than planned as Kalvin Phillips struggled to acclimate with the club after a £42m move from Leeds United, believes his career could be cut short if the intensity is not managed.
“The important thing for me is that they know the situation and know that for the next seasons we will have to be vigilant,” he added.
Now I’m young, but maybe when I get to 30 or 31 I won’t be able to do this kind of thing, so I have to take care of my body because 60 games is not the best for a player. Also, the seasons get even longer every year. We have to adapt to this.’
That will only lengthen with the International Football Association Board’s new guidelines for the season, which saw 11 minutes of stoppage time in Sunday’s Community Shield. United’s Raphael Varane also echoed De Bruyne’s concern, with several EFL managers stunned after an average of 16 minutes of extra time over the opening weekend.
Rodri was seen on his feet during matches up to last year’s encounter, occasionally falling to his knees, and was only dropped from the starting eleven once the league title was won. However, he claimed that the adrenaline rush of trying to create history helped him.
Rodri has spoken to City boss Pep Guardiola and the club about his concerns about burnout.
“On the other hand, I had the feeling that we were fighting for everything and I had to push my body to the limit,” he said. “That’s why sometimes I feel bad at the end of the season, but for me it was great.”
‘The best version of City came in recent months. Arsenal only played one tournament and we were in three.
‘It talks about mentality and physicality. I can tell you at that point that he was very, very tired. Perhaps the head was stronger than the body. We took a step forward and that’s what the best players do.
‘To be honest, I never get enough rest. I feel quite recovered after a month off. It has been a good break and we have a coach who understands us and who gives us everything to recover.
