Man City have missed Rodri - but Forest win proved they have missed his team-mate just as much
Manchester City may have missed Rodri this season, but they have missed the creative influence of Kevin De Bruyne just as much.
That was the assessment of former City defender Micah Richards, who believes De Bruyne's influence over City's 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday proves how much the Belgian international has been missed.
De Bruyne scored one goal and created another as he capped his first start since suffering an injury in City's draw with Inter Milan in September with a player-of-the-match display.
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In De Bruyne's absence, City have endured a rotten run of injuries which has coincided with a drastic drop off in form.
Prior to their win over Forest, Pep Guardiola's side were without a win in seven matches in all competitions and they now find themselves nine points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Much has been made about the absence of City's Ballon d'Or winning midfielder, Rodri, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season, but former Premier League winner, Richards, also feels De Bruyne's absence has been just as keenly felt.
"He is a top quality player, one of the best we have seen in the Premier League. He is so different to other midfielders," Richards said on BBC's Match of the Day.
"He always manages to find space on the pitch. When he starts, they win. I know they have missed Rodri but creativity wise, they have missed De Bruyne so much."
Richards also praised the performance of Jack Grealish in the win over Forest, as he excelled in a more central role to the left-wing role he has been used to performing at City.
"I think sometimes when Jack plays on the wing he takes too many touches," Richards added.
"I think his best position is as a number 10 and he grew into the game and his confidence was there. It allowed him to take a bit more care in certain areas. Today he was enjoying himself."
