Newcastle United boss responds to Man City 'strike' claim before eight-month injury blow confirmed

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Manchester City midfielder Rodri claimed players could go ‘on strike’ before suffering a serious ACL injury against Arsenal.

The Spaniard raised concerns over player welfare with City required to play six games in the space of 17 days across the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup. The 28-year-old has played over 50 games in four of his five full seasons at City while also representing Spain.

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After issuing the complaint about City’s fixture schedule, a cruel twist of fate saw Rodri ruled out for the remainder of the 2024-25 season with an ACL injury.

The City midfielder said prior to his injury: "I think we are close to that [players striking]. If it keeps this way, it will be a moment that we have no other option, but let's see."

City travel to face Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Saturday (12:30pm kick-off). The Magpies’ played in the Champions League last season and saw their squad decimated by injuries amid a hectic fixture schedule.

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And when asked if he could sympathise with Man City and the talk of a potential strike, Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe told The Gazette: “Not being in Europe changes the dynamic for us at least this season but certainly for the players that are in the Champions League and the internationals, their schedules are very, very intense.

Eddie Howe, Manager of Newcastle United, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Newcastle United FC at Craven Cottage on September 21, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Eddie Howe, Manager of Newcastle United, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Newcastle United FC at Craven Cottage on September 21, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Eddie Howe, Manager of Newcastle United, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Newcastle United FC at Craven Cottage on September 21, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) | Getty Images

“Now they get rewarded for that but it takes a real toll on their bodies first and foremost and then there's also the mental aspect. I think it's a difficult one for me to be forceful on because we're in a different situation where we're not going to have the intensity of games we had last year, we're week to week in the Premier League but we hope to have really good cup runs.

“The international players have a different dynamic again and we always need to think about the welfare of the players, it's so important because these are the guys that produce the product. There's a lot that goes into it with TV revenue and various competitions. It's for someone else to decide.”

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Howe claims some of his players such as Anthony Gordon, Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes are still getting back up to speed following a busy summer away on international duty which resulted in a disrupted pre-season.  

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