Rodri out for season, All Blacks lose Barrett, what happened overnight in world of sport

Knee injuries are the order of the day on the pitch, while in London, heavy rain leaves a sinkhole where a Wimbledon corner flag used to be

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Manchester City’s Rodri reacts after being tackled during his side’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:30am, 24 Sep 2024Updated: 12:30pm, 24 Sep 2024

A slightly slower start to the week than normal, although Manchester United have revealed what a new stadium might look like and if you’re a Shamrock Rovers’ fan, the 1-0 win over Bohemians in the Dublin derby was certainly worth celebrating, so that’s something.

For the rest of us, it’s case of counting down to some so-so midweek action, with also-rans and no-hopers – that’s the likes of Manchester United and Lazio in case you were wondering – playing in the Europa League.

Speaking of no-hopers, the International Team will take their biennial shellacking from the US this week in golf’s largely pointless Presidents Cup. That, though, is for later – until then, here’s what happened while you were sleeping.

Rodri injury blow

A case of Murphy’s Law, a perfect example of speaking something into existence, or just rotten luck? Days after raising the prospect of players getting injured because of the amount of football they have to play, Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri could miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Morecambe grabbed a late equaliser to draw 2-2 away at Fleetwood Town. Photo: X/MorecambeFC

In what would be a huge blow to his club’s title hopes, the 28-year-old reportedly damaged the ACL in his right knee during Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal.

Rodri, who played more than 5,000 minutes in 63 games for club and country last season, had warned that leading players could go on strike over an ever-expanding schedule because “we are the guys that suffer”.

Football stops for no one, however, and City face Watford in the League Cup on Tuesday, little more than 48 hours after the Arsenal match.

A four-goal thriller

You don’t need the Premier League or La Liga to find excitement on the football pitch, although you would have struggled to get Morecambe’s visit to Fleetwood Town on the TV.