Barcelona’s Champions League victory against Aston Villa came at a hefty price as it was confirmed that Rodri will be out of action for some time after exiting the match with a muscular injury.

Rodri has become a key cog in Hansi Flick’s midfield ever since he joined the club this summer in what many considered the best signing of the 2026 summer transfer window.

After recovering from minor back surgery following the World Cup, Rodri has featured in 14 games during his debut season with Barcelona, becoming a mainstay in one of the most loaded midfields in world soccer.

But concerns over Rodri’s fitness started to rise when he was left out of the starting XI in Barcelona’s defeat against Paris Saint-Germain on Oct. 20. Once he entered the match in the second half, he looked far from his best form and concerns only worsened after an overly disappointing performance days later in his El Clásico debut.

After playing 90 minutes at the weekend against Deportivo Alavés and featuring in the XI against Aston Villa, concerns appeared to dissipate. But when Rodri was hooked at halftime, alarms were immediately raised once again at Barça. A day later, Barcelona confirmed there was merit behind the concerns.

What Injury Does Rodri Have?

Rodri didn’t seem particularly limited in the first half against Aston Villa, or at least it didn’t appear like a fitness issue was compromising his ability to handle Villa’s suffocating press. Yet, after completing 46 of 50 passes, Rodri returned from the halftime break with a large raincoat and sat on the bench as Marc Bernal replaced him on the pitch.

A day later, Barcelona released a statement sharing further details on Rodri’s fresh injury.

“Rodrigo Hernández has undergone medical tests following the muscle discomfort he experienced during yesterday’s match against Aston Villa,” Barcelona’s statement said. “The tests have confirmed a minor injury to his right hamstring.

“He will miss next Sunday’s match against Atlético Madrid. His exact recovery time will depend on how the injury develops.”

Rodri battled hamstring injuries during his final season at Manchester City after coming back from the ACL tear that sidelined him for almost a year. Although the fresh hamstring issue is “minor,” he’s still expected to miss more than just the weekend bout against Atlético Madrid, which is currently up in the air itself.

When Will Rodri Return From Injury?

Although Barcelona didn’t offer an exact timeline for Rodri’s return, The Athletic report the Spaniard will be out of action until at least the end of the upcoming international break, ruling him out of Spain’s UEFA Nations League games against Czechia and England.

However, SPORT and other outlets in Spain indicate the all-world midfielder could be sidelined for the rest of November.

Flick has a history of being overly cautious with how he integrates players back into the team following injuries. If Rodri is indeed out for three or four weeks, he could miss four matches in total. He’s already ruled out for the visit to Atlético this week, but he could also miss out against Villarreal, Sabah FK and Deportivo A Coruña on the other side of the international break.

If Rodri’s recovery progresses well, he’d most likely be good to go for the clash against Celta Vigo on Dec. 6 and, more importantly, the home bout against former club Manchester City in a mouthwatering Champions League clash on Dec. 8.

For now, though, Marc Bernal and Frenkie de Jong are the favorites to partner Pedri in midfield at the Metropolitano on Sunday in a match where the top spot in La Liga is up for grabs.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rodri Injury: Progress, Potential Return Date for Barcelona Star Midfielder.