What happened to Manchester City midfielder Rodri?

Manchester City midfielder Rodri damaged a ligament in his right knee, the club said Wednesday without giving a time frame for his potential absence.

The Spain international, among favourites to win this year’s Ballon d’Or award for the best player in the world, limped off after only 20 minutes of the 2-2 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.

City confirmed in a statement that Rodri “suffered a ligament injury.” He went to Spain on Monday to see a specialist regarding the issue.

Assessment continues, which will allow us to determine the full extent of the injury and predicted prognosis,” the English champions said.

With Pep Guardiola admitting on Tuesday that he expects to be without Rodri for “a long time,” Rodri’s absence could be a severe blow to City’s ambitions of setting a record-extending fifth-straight league title this season, with the Spain international arguably the most important player in terms of the way he protects the backline and conducts its passing game.