Man City defensive midfielder and 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, Rodrigo Hernández Cascante was substituted during his side’s clash with Brentford on Sunday just 23 minutes into the game.

Marking his 6th (sixth) match since his injury comeback, the British footballer had to be sent off after developing a discomfort in his hamstring. He signalled his coach, Pep Guardiola and the bench to be substituted. He was later seen limping off the pitch when Pep replaced him with  his Spanish compatriot Nico González.

Speaking in a post-match interview with Sky Sports, at the Gtech Community Stadium, London Rodri noted that "he felt a little bit in the hamstring, but it seems as though it's not that much," Rodri told "I stretched a bit, like in the final of the Euros [when he had to go off injured]. But the most important thing is it's not that big."

Commenting on Rodri's injury, Pep described him as an important player who they can’t risk missing out on for long hence their swift response to his substitution request. He said the injury isn’t that serious hence he wouldn’t be gone for long.

"It's muscular, so two weeks or three weeks [out]," said City manager Pep Guardiola after the game.

"Of course, I don't want to lose him even a little because he is such an important player. We tried to take care of him, but it is what it is.," the manager said.

This comes after Rodri was sidelined for over 200 days in September last year after undergoing surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee after he suffered the issue, which also affected the meniscus, in a Premier League clash with Arsenal.

He returned in late May, 2025, where he played his first post return match on May 20, against Bournemouth in the Premier League and later played all four matches in the for the Club World Cup cameo.

After initially returning to action at the end of last season, Rodri has been building up his fitness in recent weeks as he bids to return to the form that saw him win the Ballon d'Or last year.

City are used to having to cope in Rodri's absence, and they did so again as Erling Haaland's ninth-minute goal proved enough for them to earn all three points via a 1-0 victory in west London.

Speaking on Friday ahead of the game in west London, City boss Pep Guardiola warned it could take most of the season for Rodri to get back to his best.

Rodri played an hour of Wednesday's 2-2 Champions League draw in Monaco after sitting out City's two previous fixtures, with Guardiola having to carefully manage his star midfielder.

Meanwhile, before Rodri’s return, football injury expert Ben Dinnery, cautioned Manchester City against forcing Ballon d'Or winner, Rodri, back to the pitch as he recovers from the knee injury.

Earlier scheduled to make an appearance in June, he joined his teammates in May instead. Given his recent sideline after the hamstring discomfort, it appears Ben’s prediction was nothing far from the truth.

His warning followed Pep's announcement of Rodri's return to training, though not vividly disclosing his comeback before the close of the season, despite being ruled out for the whole season.

Rodri picked up a knee injury in September during a clash with Arsenal.

He told Casino Apps: “We’ve seen Rodri working on the training pitch. Sometimes we have to take what Pep Guardiola says with a pinch of salt. He can be very elusive when responding about a player’s recovery, but if we look at the facts, is a return this season without risk?

Ben Dinnery was not in favour of Rodri's seeming rush return, warning of recurring injury. He said, though Pep hasn't stated the time for the 28-year-old player, he wouldn't be surprised to see Rodri return this season.

On his part, the player is likely to pick up another injury if he is not allowed to recover fully.

He quizzed, "What are Manchester City pushing for? “We’ve seen Rodri working on the training pitch. Sometimes we have to take what Pep Guardiola says with a pinch of salt. He can be very elusive when responding about a player’s recovery, but if we look at the facts, is a return this season without risk?

Data would tell you there is a possibility of reinjury and further setbacks when returning within the nine months thereafter; that said, players have returned in those timelines and been fine. You have to look at the risk and reward of the situation".

The City talisman picked up an injury just 16 minutes into the game after a collision with Arsenal’s Thomas Partey. After the collision, he tried to continue playing; however, after some minutes, he signalled the bench for a substitution because he couldn't carry on any longer.

Though the injury expert ruled out the possibility of the midfielder starting any remaining league games, he could be listed for the FA Cup Final squad if Man City secure a top-four finish early.

"If they secure that top-four position with games to go, you can probably forget about him returning in them. You certainly cannot rule out his return to the matchday squad for the FA Cup Final, but do I see him starting? Probably not. The current City squad have gained a bit of form, the pressure for Pep to take a chance on Rodri has decreased, so it’s difficult to say. There’s a handful of games left, but could he be involved? Absolutely.”