New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS): Manchester City revealed the star midfielder Rodri has been diagnosed with ligament damage to his right knee. The club has yet to confirm how long the 27-year-old will be out, as further assessments are ongoing.

"Manchester City FC can confirm that Rodri has suffered a ligament injury to his right knee. The injury was sustained during the first half of this weekend’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League.

"The midfielder travelled to Spain to seek specialist consultation this week, following initial tests in Manchester. Assessment remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the injury and expected prognosis," the Premier League club said in a statement.

Rodri limped out of a Premier League draw with Arsenal last Sunday and has since been undergoing tests to determine the extent of his injury. He picked up an apparent knee injury after colliding with Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey during a Manchester City corner.

After returning to Spain for specialist consultation this week, the midfielder’s injury was confirmed as serious, though the club has not yet revealed whether surgery will be necessary.

However, the full extent of the injury remains unclear, but Pep Guardiola has said injured midfielder Rodri will be out of action "for a long time"

Manager Pep Guardiola, speaking before the official statement on Wednesday, expressed his uncertainty regarding the severity of the injury but remained hopeful it might not be as bad as first feared. "Still, we don't have the definitive answer. He'll be out for a long time, a while, but there are some opinions that maybe it will be less than we expect."

Rodri is probably the best defensive midfielder in the world due to his ability to both break up opponents' attacks and keep the rhythm of possession. The 28-year-old has been at the heart of all of Guardiola’s successes in recent seasons, playing at least 50 games for City last season without tasting defeat as he won the Premier League.