Rodri: It'll be 'months' before I'm back to my best

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Manchester City midfielder Rodri has said it could be "months" before he finds his best form after nine months out with a knee injury.

The Spain international has made three substitute appearances, including two at the Club World Cup, as he continues his comeback following knee ligament surgery in September.

Pep Guardiola hinted that the 29-year-old could make his first start in the Group G decider against Juventus on Thursday.

But ahead of the game, Rodri has insisted it could be a while before he reaches the level which saw him win the Ballon d'Or.

"I feel very, very strong, to be honest," said Rodri.

"The process was long, but I was taking my time. The most important thing was to keep focused and be strong.

"Don't be sad or whatever. One day I'll come back and this day has finally come and I'm very excited to play again.

"I know it's still going to be months until I reach my level, but I'm so happy."

Rodri's absence coincided with City's worst season for a decade as they relinquished their Premier League title to Liverpool and struggled in the Champions League before being knocked out by Real Madrid.

Guardiola tried Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gündogan and Bernardo Silva in Rodri's No.6 role before City decided to sign Nico González in January.

No one managed to fill the hole left by Rodri, but he insists it's too easy to put City's bad season down to his injury.

"Well, it's a very simplistic analysis," he said.

"It is clear, as I have always said, that in the past we have also had important losses and the team gets over it.

"Whenever there are players missing, the team can get over it. But in the end, it is a season in which there are many more conditions that gave that feeling, not so much the results, but the team's feeling.

"My mission is to try to return to the individual level and that the group can take the best from me, especially the leadership and the captaincy that I can show now, now that I am one of the three captains.

"Above all, I want to raise the morale of my team, which has been a winner, and I am sure we will do it again."