Football: Eight months after his injury, Ballon d'Or winner Rodri is back playing for Manchester City

An event. Defensive midfielder and current Ballon d'Or winner Rodrigues returned to action for Manchester City on Tuesday evening for the first time since suffering a serious knee injury eight months ago.

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The number 16 came on in the 82nd minute of the Premier League match against Bournemouth, replacing Erling Haaland and to the rapturous applause of the Etihad Stadium crowd.

The 28-year-old tore his ACL during a match against Arsenal on September 22. The club had initially announced that the Spaniard would be out of the season.

He did not return in time for the FA Cup final, lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace on Saturday, but should be able to play in the final league match against Fulham on Sunday, and especially in the Club World Cup this summer.

The absence of Rodri, who won European championships last summer with Spain, has weighed heavily on Manchester City's performance, as they were eliminated early from the Champions League and have long been in the Premier League. Without him, City were almost an undistinguished team.

Pep Guardiola's team bounced back in the second half of the season and put itself back among the Champions League qualifying places in the final sprint.