Man City denied wildcard Rodri replacement after transfer decision

Pep Guardiola will spend this week developing a plan to attack the season without Rodri, who will miss months with knee ligament damage.

Rodri was injured against Arsenal and initial tests have revealed damage that will require surgery and keep him out for a 'long time', according to Guardiola. City had gone through the whole of pre-season and their opening four games of the new campaign without Rodri, who lasted just 66 minutes of Premier League action across two appearances before limping off against Arsenal.

He also played the full game against Inter Milan but looked short of match fitness after warning of the lasting impacts of playing too many games at the highest level. While City wait to learn exactly how long Rodri will be out, which will be determined by further tests in Spain, attention back at the City Football Academy will turn to how they can cope without a player Guardiola calls 'irreplaceable'.

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Speaking after City beat Watford on Tuesday, Guardiola said it will be a team effort to replace Rodri's influence, with no one player capable of taking all his responsibilities in the starting XI. Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and John Stones are set to be involved in the system that will seek to replicate Rodri's influence, while Rico Lewis has impressed so far this term with his inverted role from full-back.

One player who will not be part of the mission to replace Rodri will be the man initially bought in to do exactly that job. Kalvin Phillips struggled in his 18-months under Guardiola, and failed his audition last season when Rodri was suspended for three games. He spent the second half of last season on loan at West Ham, and despite going on tour with Guardiola in the summer, is now at Ipswich on loan for the season.

Phillips couldn't convince Guardiola of his suitability for the system in the USA, and struggled when playing alone in midfield against Celtic and AC Milan. It was only when he was moved back into defence where he looked more comfortable, with Guardiola showering him with faint praise by saying he looked good when the game was in front of him, but struggled with more action going on all around him.

Teenager Nico O'Reilly emerged as a more prominent midfield option, and Phillips was loaned to newly-promoted Ipswich in a deal that does not contain a recall clause. So even if City wanted to explore bringing him back as cover, he will remain at Portman Road for the rest of the campaign.

Phillips has played three times for Ipswich since signing for Keiran McKenna's side, already surpassing the 89 minutes he played for City in the Premier League last season across four appearances before his loan to West Ham.