Pep Guardiola makes Rodri admission ahead of Man City FA Cup final vs Chelsea
Manchester City midfielder Rodri is a surprise inclusion in the starting line-up vs Chelsea after being out since the win over Arsenal
Pep Guardiola has returned Rodri to the starting line-up for the FA Cup final(Image: Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has admitted it was not easy to pick Rodri for today’s FA Cup final against Chelsea.
The Spanish midfielder has been out since limping off during the 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the Premier League. In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Guardiola said he would assess Rodri’s fitness ahead of the game but it seemed unlikely he would be fit in time.
However, shortly before the teams were announced, Rodri appeared on TNT Sports to preview the game. “Yeah that is the idea,” he told the broadcaster when asked if he was fit. “Today is a big day, a big final and we will need to show our best. An important day for us.”
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Speaking ahead of kick off, Guardiola explained that it was a tough decision to pick Rodri against Chelsea. He said: “No (it was not easy), because it has been three weeks out but he has a special composure. When he is playing in the middle we are always good. We will see.
“We are really pleased that he is there and hopefully he can perform well, stay on the pitch and do what the team requires.”
Rodri returns to the starting line-up and partners Bernardo Silva in the centre. Elsewhere, Omar Marmoush keeps his spot in the team meaning there is no room for either Rayan Cherki or Phil Foden in the XI.
Both Cherki and Foden will start on the bench but there is no place for Nico Gonzalez again. James Trafford, as expected, starts in goal instead of Gianluigi Donnarumma while the in-form Jeremy Doku returns.
On Marmoush’s involvement, Guardiola added: “The way they defend, we feel we need to require certain movements and Omar has a special quality for that and that is why we have done it. We have important players for the second half in this competition it is not just about who starts and those players for the second half can make a difference.”
