How do Manchester City manage the Rodri dilemma?

How do Manchester City manage the Rodri dilemma?Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Rodri captained Spain to their World Cup final victory over ArgentinaByUmir IrfanFootball tactics correspondentPublished5 minutes agoCommentsManchester City are in flux.Replacing a manager after 10 years is no easy feat, let alone when there appears to be a squad overhaul too.Four of the starters in City's Treble-winning side of 2022-23 - Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Bernardo Silva and John Stones - have left this summer, with the Blues signing £116m Elliot Anderson and promising 17-year-old Jeremy Monga.And the changes might not end there.Fresh from captaining Spain to World Cup victory, Rodri will head for back surgery on Monday with just a year left on his contract, amid increasing speculation about his future.It is not clear how long the 30-year-old will spend on the sidelines, but one thing new boss Enzo Maresca was clear on in his first news conference was that he wants to keep him.But with reports that Real Madrid are "operating on the basis" of Rodri joining them,, external what do City do?Will they look to cash in when Rodri returns to fitness, or keep to Maresca's stance?And how might Maresca's midfield operate - with or without Rodri?What's the background?When Rodri returned from an anterior cruciate ligament injury last year, there will have been plenty who wondered whether he would return to the Ballon d'Or-winning levels he had reached at his peak.Pep Guardiola - the man Maresca has replaced - said last October: "In the World Cup, he will be the best Rodri, and next season he will be the best Rodri."Guardiola was proved right on the first count. Not only did Rodri captain Spain to World Cup success but he was also awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.Maresca was unequivocal when asked for his view on Friday."I think every manager wants to have Rodri because he is a top player," he said.&qu...