According to reports, Rodri could be targeting a return to Manchester City before the end of the Premier League season, with the injured star continuing his rehabilitation.
The Ballon d'Or winner's absence was devastating for Pep Guardiola's side. The reigning champions dropped to fifth in the Premier League standings after winning just one of their last 10 games in all competitions and losing seven of those matches.
Rodri has been unavailable since he tore his cruciate ligament just a few games into the new season and required extensive surgery on the ligament tear, which was expected to take the rest of the season to fully heal.
However, the box-to-box midfielder has given his underperforming teammates a boost that could see him return to action much sooner than expected, The Sun reports.
The 28-year-old was expected to miss the entire remaining Premier League games but has impressed medics with his dedication and physical recovery following surgery.
He is already ahead of his rehabilitation program and has been on the running machine in an attempt to strengthen ligaments damaged during City's 2-2 draw with Arsenal in September.
City's physio team are reportedly impressed with Rodri's range of motion and there is a chance he could return to action for the end-of-season run-in.
Guardiola fervently hopes that will be the case when City play Villa, Wolves, Southampton, Bournemouth and Fulham in the final five games of the season.
Should they manage to turn around their current crisis situation, a returning Rodri could prove to be a masterstroke at a time when teams are starting to tire.
Guardiola was previously convinced that his star player would not be fit this season, but that scenario is now set to change as the Spanish Euro 2024 winner's recovery is going better than expected.
If Rodri is unable to feature in the final few Premier League games, he could be fit for the new Club World Cup taking place in America in June and July.
His current contract runs until 2027, but City are targeting new midfield reinforcements in the January transfer window. Their current torrid form has become a career worst for Guardiola.
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has emerged as a potential option, while City have also been linked with Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich.
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