Manchester City’s upcoming Asian tour is set to miss out on some of its star players as they recover from recent injuries sustained during the FIFA World Cup. The Premier League giants unveiled their initial 28-man traveling squad for the tour, but midfielder Rodri and forward Erling Haaland are notably absent due to their respective recoveries post-World Cup.
Rodri captained Spain to their second World Cup title earlier this month, winning the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. He recently joined Manchester City from Real Madrid but had to undergo minor back surgery. The club stated that Rodri will now begin a short period of rehabilitation without providing a specific timeline for his return.
Haaland, on the other hand, took Norway to the quarterfinals at the World Cup and finished tied for third with seven goals. The 26-year-old striker has already won three Premier League Golden Boots in his first four seasons with Manchester City as the league's top scorer. Due to required rest time following the FIFA World Cup, several first-team players who reached the quarterfinal stages or beyond will not travel for the men’s preseason tour.
However, a small number of players that reached the round of 16 will join for part of the tour but are not with the squad departing Manchester today. With new head coach Enzo Maresca in charge, Manchester City will play Inter Milan in Hong Kong on Saturday and then travel to Korea for two matches - against a K League All-Star squad next Wednesday and then against Atletico Madrid on August 9 at Seoul World Cup Stadium. This will be the club's first visit to Korea since 2023.
Without Rodri and Haaland, Manchester City’s tour will be led by veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, defender Mateo Kovacic, midfielder Phil Foden, and other experienced players.
