City's midfield puzzle: Maresca faces Rodri crossroads

The post-Guardiola era at Manchester City is already shaping up to be a test of tactical ingenuity. With four starters from the Treble-winning squad gone-Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Bernardo Silva and John Stones-new manager Enzo Maresca is overseeing a squad overhaul while simultaneously managing the future of his most valuable asset. Rodri, fresh from captaining Spain to World Cup glory and winning the Golden Ball, is set for back surgery on Monday. The 30-year-old has one year left on his contract, and reports out of Spain claim Real Madrid are "operating on the basis" that he will join them. Maresca made clear at his first press conference that he wants to keep the midfielder, but the combination of a major injury and a dwindling contract raises a difficult question: do City cash in when Rodri returns to fitness, or stick with the new boss's stance? Maresca's system, built on positional play and a 3-2-2-3 shape in attack, would benefit hugely from Rodri's ability to drop into defence or push forward. During the World Cup, Rodri regularly slotted into the backline when Aymeric Laporte advanced with the ball. That flexibility is exactly what Maresca demands-players who can rotate within predefined zones. To cover for the potential absence, City have invested £116m in Elliot Anderson, a 23-year-old comfortable in every midfield and attacking role. For England, Anderson has even dropped into defence to form a back five out of possession. Alongside Rodri, he could sit deep and allow the Spaniard to be more adventurous, or vice versa. The club are also tracking 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who impressed for Morocco at the World Cup. At Chelsea, Maresca experimented with Moises Caicedo at right-back, shifting him into a holding role in possession. The same logic could apply here: strong ball-carriers like Marc Guehi or Josko Gvardiol pushing forward would create space for Rodri and Anderson to rotate. City's hope is that Anderson can replicate the chemistry Rodri once had with Bernardo Silva-only this time, the system is built around a player who might not be around much longer.