Rodri bluntly labelled Manchester City's slump in form at the end of 2024 as a 'critical situation', but backed his teammates to pull themselves out of it.

Rodri - the Ballon d'Or winner and scorer of trophy-winning goals - has played just twice for City this season before getting injured and has been ruled out for the full campaign. Since his absence, City have tailed off and suffered from more injuries, ending 2024 with just two wins in 14 games.

The Spaniard has watched from afar - as well as being in the dressing room for certain home games to support his teammates - and offered his thoughts on the run. On the one hand he called the situation 'critical', yet on the other he insisted the run will not be 'significant' as seasons are getting longer and longer.

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“We are in a critical situation at City," he told AS. "I always say that when there are absences in certain positions, the team feels the effects. We have experienced this in other years with [Kevin] De Bruyne or with another player who has been absent for a long time. It is a time when the team has to be united.

"I know that we are in a bad time, a time that we are perhaps finding difficult to assimilate and in which we are not feeling well, but in the end this is part of sport. You have to pick yourself up. The good thing is that there is room for improvement in the rest of the season. This changes a lot. Football changes.

"I don't think that in the end this moment will be very significant, neither for the good nor the bad. You go through phases throughout the year. The seasons are longer now and maturity and calm are important. Obviously, you must not relax or believe that this is going to change overnight. That doesn't happen in football. It has to improve gradually. We are in a situation, I would say, that is a bit of a limit. You have to try to win, but without panic."

Rodri's return would help City massively, with the club expecting him back next season. However Rodri has said he wants to play this season, and has now publicly stated a target of the FIFA Club World Cup in June as a tournament he wants to play in. Ten days before that tournament begins, Rodri could be in Nations League semi-final action for Spain - a game he feels he could be involved in.

Spain must beat the Netherlands in March in a quarter-final in March, which feels too soon for Rodri to return in, but when asked if he will play in the Nations League this season as well as the Club World Cup, he said: "Yes, I think so. I don't want to confirm anything, but my idea is to try to come back a little earlier than that. It's in my head. These are the two big tournaments I have in mind for this year.

Speaking generally about playing this season, Rodri replied: "Yes, yes, yes. Also, I know myself, I am a person who recovers well, a person with a positive mentality. They have said that the issue of the head was very important in the recovery. As I said, everything is going very well. Of course I want to play again this season.

"Psychologically, I'm much better than I thought. That's what I imagined in terms of pain. The first month is very difficult, but mentally it's better than I thought. I'm talking about the desire to play again, that kind of thing. I'm pretty good. I think my body has also benefited from stopping. Not because of the injury, but in other ways. I'm trying to enjoy other things that we don't normally have in our lives."