Former Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has predicted his old side will dip into the January transfer market in order to find a replacement for the injured Rodri, which could be bad news for Liverpool’s title hopes.
The Reds currently sit eight points ahead of their rivals at the top of the Premier League after making the most of another defeat for Pep Guardiola’s side against Tottenham. Liverpool extended their lead after coming from behind to beat Southampton 3-2, thanks to goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah.
Arne Slot’s side will have the chance to make it an 11-point advantage over its rival when City visit Anfield on Sunday. With a crucial set of fixtures coming up, this could be an opportunity for Liverpool to make a decisive move in the title race.
City has been struggling with injuries and a lack of fitness for stars like Kevin De Bruyne, having lost each of its last five games across all competitions. Rodri’s absence in particular has hit the defending champions hard, with the Spaniard set to miss the rest of the season.
City has been linked with signing a replacement for the Ballon d’Or winner during January, with former Liverpool target Martin Zubimendi among those linked with a move to the Etihad, and Aguero has backed his former side to dip into the market.
“Rodri’s injury had a deep impact, especially when you consider he might be off for the whole season,” Aguero told Stake.com. “I could imagine Pep looking to sign a midfielder… but I’d expect it to be someone Pep is certain to be a top-quality player.”
Giving his thoughts on City’s injury problems this season, Aguero added: “It’s true, several teams had a significant amount of injuries, particularly City. When it happens to such key players too, it’s very impactful, like Rodri being off the field. Kevin [De Bruyne] has bounced back but he still needs to fully get back into rhythm. There have been several defenders who have been affected too.
“Pointing out the root cause is tricky, it’s not just Premier League teams that are seeing an uptick. I do believe it’s a warning sign, in the end there’s no football without the players and we must look out for them. If it truly is the number of fixtures – which can seem excessive – it’ll be up to the organisers to act accordingly.”
