Manchester City have decided they will not appeal Rodri’s three-match ban for violent conduct. The midfielder was sent off during the champion’s 2-nil win over Nottingham Forest at the weekend.
Jack Gaughan of the Daily Mail reports that the treble winners have decided not to appeal the suspension. He adds that Pep Guardiola was against the idea of appealing the ban. The club took the same line as their manager and accepted Rodri’s suspension.
The clash with Morgan Gibbs-White was out of character for City’s midfield general. Rodri is one of City’s most important players, and usually, he isn’t drawn into such confrontations. But on this occasion he was and now he will serve a three-match ban.
Pep Guardiola told the media post-game that he was angry with his midfielder. He said: “Yes. I don’t like to play with 10 for our faults. I said at half-time, be careful guys. The game has been in a position where we are comfortable. Relax, control your emotions. Unfortunately, Rodri didn’t do it.”
Pep also hoped Rodri would learn from his mistake. He added: “Hopefully Rodri will learn. The game was perfect for 35 minutes and after that it became a little bit chaos. That wasn’t our responsibility, that’s for sure. But Rodri had to control himself and his emotions. Because I can get a yellow card but Rodri can’t get a yellow card but I don’t play.”
While it will be a loss for the European champions, Rodri’s suspension does offer an opportunity to other players. Kalvin Phillips will be eager to stake his claim for more minutes. Mateo Kovacic is also due back this week from injury. So while it’s a setback to lose Rodri, there are options available for Pep Guardiola.
