Manchester City

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Spain have confirmed Rodri has been ruled out of their upcoming World Cup qualifiers after the Manchester City midfielder was forced off injured in Sunday's Premier League win over Brentford.

Rodri was substituted after just 22 minutes of City's 1-0 win, having clutched his hamstring after stretching for a ball. City are continuing to assess the extent of his injury but it is enough to rule Rodri out of Spain's fixtures against Georgia on Saturday and Bulgaria on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Spanish federation said the decision followed "medical reports" submitted to them by City.

It was the latest injury setback for last year's Ballon d'Or winner, who ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in September last year and missed almost the entire season.

He has been feeling his way back to full fitness early in this campaign. He was ruled out of City's win over Burnley last month after feeling pain in his knee, and was then withdraw after an hour of Wednesday's 2-2 Champions League draw with Monaco.

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Nico O'Reilly only made his first Premier League start as recently as April, but his impressive performances mean he has earned an increasingly important role this season.

The Manchester-born youngster has played 648 minutes in all competitions this term, the fourth highest total by a Manchester City player.

He has made a valuable contribution defensively, attempting more tackles per 90 minutes in the league than any of his team-mates, while also ranking highly for possession won, blocks and interceptions.

The boyhood City fan began the win versus Wolves on the opening weekend at right-back but his six starts since then have come at left-back.

Despite operating in wide areas, he is a player who regularly looks to get on the ball, averaging 78 touches per game - a figure bettered by just four City players in the current campaign.

And while he is yet to score this season, he demonstrated an eye for goal in 2024-25, netting five times between January and the end of the season.

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Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly has received his first call-up to the England senior squad.

With Chelsea's Reece James ruled out through injury, the 20-year-old moves from the England Under 21s squad for the' forthcoming fixtures against Wales and Latvia.

O'Reilly has featured for England's junior age groups from under-15s through to under-20s and has made 30 appearances for City's first team.

Thomas Tuchel's squad host Wales on Thursday, 9 October before travelling to Riga to face Latvia in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, 14 October.

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Brentford and Manchester City.

Here are some of your comments:

Brentford fans

Anthony: As soon as I saw the line-up was a defensive back five, I knew it was the wrong approach to a side like Man City. Surely the age-old saying that attack is the best form of defence is the best way, just as Thomas Frank did against Man City more than once.

Mark: Why play five at the back? It was going to be a tough game whatever the line-up so should have gone for broke and started with the same line-up as last week. Despite playing better in the second half, we still lack quality at the front. We still need a quality striker.

Saan: Really proud of this Brentford team. We may have been under the hammer slightly in the first half but we came back so strongly, and probably deserved more than we got. Jordan Henderson just keeps on proving his worth.

Nicholas: What a disappointing display from the Bees. Five at the back, negative football and relying on long throws as your only weapon. It was like watching Stoke 15 years ago! Disappointed that Keith Andrews set up to contain rather than have a go.

Man City fans

Steve: A brilliant City away performance, against a team who have been strong at home this season. Three points…

Alan: We should have put the game to bed in the first half. Sloppy and lacklustre finishing must improve if we are to win anything this year. Tijjani Reijnders and Phil Foden were the worst culprits. Both need to concentrate on hitting the ball accurately and with sufficient energy to beat good keepers. either of them managed anything like what is required. Generally a poor performance in the second half.

Dave: Easing our way to another title. Cranking up very nicely with some excellent players returning from injury too.

Harry: Against a low block it's never easy. add to that a team who love long throws and were playing at home, you have a challenging game. We dominated the first half. The second half was more scruffy but we managed it when we couldn't last season.

Pundits Joe Hart and Danny Murphy join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's five Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Aston Villa 2-1 Burnley

• Everton 2-1 Crystal Palace

• Newcastle 2-0 Nottingham Forest

• Wolves 1-1 Brighton

• Brentford 0-1 Man City

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola speaking to BBC Match of the Day after victory over Brentford: "It has been a good month, since the Manchester United game. Many things I like. I know there are things we can do better but they made a fantastic first half, one of the best in many months. Problem is in the Premier League if you don't score a second and a third they can push more. In the second half they pushed more and they are the team that runs in behind and throw-ins and stuff so it is not easy. "We are there. Our game is better and better."

On Rodri injury: "I remember the press conference [asking] why I substitute Rodri in Monaco. 'Why do this, why do that?' I would love to have Rodri every three days but after one year it happens all the time, it is so demanding. That is why we tried to be gentle, play 60-65 minutes but it cannot happen more."

How long will he be out out for? "It is muscular so two weeks or three weeks. Of course I don't want to lose him even a little bit but it is a pity because he is such an important player. We tried to take care of him but it is what it is."

Did you know?

• Manchester City's Erling Haaland has now scored at 22 of the 23 stadiums he's played at in the Premier League (failing only at Anfield), the highest ratio of any player to appear at more than one ground in the competition's history (96%).

Listen to Guardiola on BBC Sounds

Jess Anderson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City knew they would claim ground on title rivals Liverpool - who lost again on Saturday - with a win and remain in touch with leaders Arsenal.

Three wins in their past four matches keeps Pep Guardiola's side firmly in the mix after two defeats in August - but he will still want City to punish their opponents when they are on top.

For all their dominance in possession, City could not find a second goal to put the game to bed and were at risk of once again suffering a late result-altering goal - as they did against Brighton and Arsenal in the league and Monaco earlier this week in the Champions League.

Tijjani Reijnders forced Caoimhin Kelleher into a good diving save when he struck well on the volley while Phil Foden dragged wide after some quick feet from Oscar Bobb, but they failed to build on that with no shots on target in the second half.

Guardiola will, however, be pleased his side were able to hold on in what felt a real slog.

The potential loss of Rodri is perhaps more of a concern for City, who know all too well how difficult life can be without him.

It is no coincidence that City's worst season under Guardiola came last year when Rodri was out with an ACL injury. However, since his return the Spaniard has struggled to get going with sporadic appearances and several further knocks.

This latest setback will create questions over whether Rodri will be able to hit the same heights he did in 2023-24, having featured just 15 times since then. He missed last week's match against Burnley because of knee pain.

Nico Gonzalez has deputised well at times but has not reached the level of City's talismanic midfielder at his best.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Brentford's performance

What did you make of City's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Just the one change for Brentford from their win over Manchester United.

Kristoffer Ajer comes in for Dango Ouattara.

Igor Thiago starts with the aim of continuing his brilliant goalscoring run.

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Hickey, Van Den Berg, Henderson, Schade, Thiago, Yarmoliuk, Ajer, Collins, Damsgaard, Kayode

Subs: Valdimarsson, Henry, Pinnock, Jensen, Carvalho, Onyeka, Ouattara, Lewis-Potter, Janelt

Pep Guardiola makes two changes to the side that beat Burnley last time out.

Oscar Bobb and Rodri come in for Jeremy Doku and Nico Gonzalez, who both drop to the bench.

Midfielder Rodri sat the Burnley match out last week with a knee problem but is fit to start today.

Man City XI: Donnarumma, Dias, Reijnders, Haaland, Rodri, Gvardiol, Savinho, Nunes, O'Reilly, Foden, Bobb

Subs: Trafford, Stones, Ake, Kovacic, Cherki, Doku, Gonzalez, Silva, Lewis

There are five games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Everton v Crystal Palace - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Newcastle v Nottingham Forest - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Wolves v Brighton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3

• Aston Villa v Burnley - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra (after Singapore Grand Prix)

• Brentford v Man City (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 14:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Newcastle v Nottingham Forest" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Wolves v Brighton", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Manchester City were up against counter-attacking Monaco on Wednesday, and Brentford will be playing in exactly the same way.

I was at the Monaco game for BBC Radio 5 Live and I am not fully convinced by City, despite their current six-game unbeaten run.

On the up side for Pep Guardiola's side, Phil Foden was excellent again and Erling Haaland's finishing was ridiculously good - his header for City's second goal was like watching me in the 1990s, and he looks unstoppable.

Foden looked sharp as anything, especially in the first half. Seeing him back in form is good for England boss Thomas Tuchel as well as for Guardiola, as opposed to last season when he was inconsistent and couldn't find his level.

I still think City have got issues in a number of positions, however. In the centre of midfield Nico Gonzalez has been disappointing since he came in, and the whole of their right flank is a massive problem.

Bernardo Silva had such little effect on the game, and behind him there is a lack of trust in the right-back area as well.

Brentford will try to hit them on the break and there is a chance they could sucker City, but Foden and Haaland should be the difference between the two sides.

It will be close, but I don't see the Bees beating another Manchester team after their win over United last week.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford are seeking back-to-back victories against the Manchester clubs, while City could extend their unbeaten run to seven games in all competitions. BBC Sport explores some of the key themes before Sunday's match.

"I thought we dovetailed nicely between enticing them and hurting them," said Brentford head coach Keith Andrews after his side beat Manchester United 3-1 last weekend.

It was undoubtedly the biggest win of the Irishman's short reign and it was underpinned by the performance of number nine Igor Thiago, who scored twice.

The Brazilian joined from Club Brugge for a then club record £30m in the summer of 2024 but barely featured last season because of injury. However, the 24-year-old has started this campaign impressively, with four goals in six Premier League outings.

Thiago lost his father at a young age and was required to provide for his family when he was just 13. Bricklaying and carrying fruit were some of jobs he did to earn money. Now he is one of Europe's most in-form strikers.

Of forwards to take 10 or more shots in the continent's top five divisions, only Harry Kane has a better conversion rate than Thiago and he is currently ahead of Robert Lewandowski, Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland, his opposite number this Sunday.

Conceding late a concerning trend for City

Manchester City have not lost since August but travel to west London seeking to put the disappointment of Wednesday's 2-2 Champions League draw in Monaco behind them.

Pep Guardiola's side largely dominated the game in the principality but squandered the lead twice, with former Spurs defender Eric Dier's 90th-minute penalty denying City three points.

"Obviously it's a bit disappointing to concede this late," admitted Bernardo Silva after the match. "We were controlling the game."

It was the third time this season that City have been on the wrong end of a late goal, with an 89th-minute strike from Brajan Gruda condemning them to defeat at Brighton in August and Gabriel Martinelli's 90th-minute equaliser for Arsenal last month.

City only conceded two result-altering goals from the 85th minute onwards during the 2022-23 Treble-winning campaign, or one every 30.5 matches. That figure rises to roughly one every 11 games across the past two seasons and this term it stands at a concerning one in every three.

One thing that won't concern Guardiola is the form of Erling Haaland. His well-taken brace on Wednesday took this season's tally to 17 goals in 10 games for club and country and he's scored in each of City's four away fixtures so far. The Norwegian is yet to find the net at the Gtech Community Stadium in two previous visits, a record he will seeking to end on Sunday.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium (kick-off 16:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• There are no new injury concerns, with everyone finishing the game against Monaco "without their problems".

• On Rodri, who was substituted off midweek after an hour: "Rodri could not play three days before because his knee was in a bad condition. He can still not sustain a continual rhythm. I try to protect my players."

• On Phil Foden's omission from the England squad: "Thomas [Tuchel] knows what he needs for the national team trillions times more than me. If he [Foden] keeps on playing like he is, then he will be back."

• He said Foden, who has scored six goals in three games, "is the best player you have in the small spaces by far" and "his desire to score a goal is the best we have".

• In response to Erling Haaland being angry after the draw against Monaco: "All of us were. We want to win. I like it when they are like this."

• He said he is pleased with the way the team are performing, adding: "We are creating again - [with] the tempo, the pace and being more fluid."

• On Jeremy Doku's form this season: "In the final third, he is a magnificent player. He is still young and still has a lot of things he has to improve."

• He said Brentford still play "quite similar" to how they did under Thomas Frank and are "doing really well" under new coach Keith Andrews. Guardiola added: "It is a tough place to go."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to live commentary of Brentford v Manchester City on BBC Radio 5 Live from 16:30 on Sunday

Thomas Tuchel has named his England squad for the upcoming international break.

The Three Lions face Wales in a friendly on 9 October, before a World Cup qualifier against Latvia on 14 October.

Chelsea's Cole Palmer is absent after suffering an injury, while there is no place for Manchester City's Phil Foden or Jack Grealish, who is on loan at Everton from City.

Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona are among the elite clubs tracking Club Tijuana's 16-year-old Mexican attacking midfielder Gilberto Mora. (Teamtalk), external

Erling Haaland's patience with the club's predicament is wearing thin, despite the striker signing a lucrative contract until 2034. (Star), external

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden is pushing for an England recall, but Everton's on-loan City winger Jack Grealish looks set to miss out. (Guardian), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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