Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, said Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is fit to return against Tottenham on Saturday and remains for him “the best player in the world.”

The Spanish midfielder missed the majority of last season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury against Arsenal in September.

Rodri made his return towards the end of the campaign before a setback saw the 29-year-old miss parts of pre-season and last weekend’s 4-0 win at Wolves to begin City’s Premier League campaign.

“He’s still so far the best player in the world until we elect a new one in a few months,” said Guardiola at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

“I don’t have any doubts about his potential and quality.

“Just consistency at training, weeks, training, games, minutes, and after everything will be fine.”

Rodri’s comeback is a major boost to City’s chances of winning back the Premier League title after finishing a distant third last season.

There were encouraging signs for Guardiola in the convincing win at Molineux as new signings Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki scored.

Goalkeeper James Trafford also started his first senior game for City in his second spell at the club.

But Guardiola said he is yet to decide who will start in goal against Spurs with Ederson, who has been linked with a move to Galatasaray, now back and available.

“The new players bring a new energy, new everything.

“I’ve changed four or five or six times (backroom) staff, and it’s tough, but they always bring new energy and ideas.

“Players are the same, and James brings his youth and desire to play at the club he was born and grew up in.

“We’re happy with the performance, but it’s just the first game. (We need to) Just be consistent in the way we play and improve in the way we have done, and we have to do better against the Spurs.”

City defender Ruben Dias also signed a two-year extension to his contract on Friday, keeping the Portuguese international at the Etihad until 2029.

“I am thrilled. City is where I want to be — at the top of the sport, competing for trophies,” said 28-year-old Dias, who joined the club from Benfica in 2020.

“The club’s ambition aligns perfectly with mine, and as a footballer, there is nothing better than that.

“I love Manchester — it is my home now — and I love the Manchester City fans.

“When I think about the trophies we have won and the way we have played our football during my time here, I couldn’t imagine playing anywhere else.”

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Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank has made it clear that the club is only interested in signing players fully committed to joining them, following the collapse of a move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

Eze had been close to a switch to Spurs earlier this week, but is now set to join Arsenal in a £67.5 million deal after the Gunners reached an agreement with the 27-year-old and Crystal Palace.

According to BBC Sports on Friday, the playmaker was omitted from Palace’s Europa Conference League win against Fredrikstad on Thursday, signalling his imminent departure.

It is the second blow Spurs have suffered this summer, with Morgan Gibbs-White opting to sign a new contract at Nottingham Forest after Tottenham had activated a release clause in his previous deal.

“In general, I don’t want any players who don’t want to come to this club and wear this fantastic badge.

“We don’t want them here, and I’m sure the fans feel the same,” Frank said.

Spurs, who beat Burnley 3-0 on the opening weekend of the season, travel to Manchester City on Saturday (12:30PM BST).

With the transfer window set to close on 1 September, Frank remained confident of adding to his squad.

“We are in the market, and we will look to strengthen the team.

“We have a good squad and good players [but] we need to do everything we can to be as competitive as possible. I am confident we will sign a player before the end of the window. Every club wants to sign players as early as possible, but it’s not that easy,” he stressed.

Frank said striker Richarlison, who netted twice in the win against Burnley, is set to stay at the club.

The Brazilian, 28, had been linked with a move to Palace in part-exchange for Eze.

Arsenal host Leeds United on Saturday (17:30 BST), with Eze expected to complete a medical with the Gunners over the weekend.

But head coach Mikel Arteta said on Friday: ‘I have nothing to comment.

A former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, on Friday, berated the Nigeria Football Federation and Lagos State Government for allegedly abandoning the family of late goalkeeper, Peter Rufai.

Speaking at Rufai’s burial in a video posted by News Central on Friday, the ex-Inter Milan star expressed disappointment over what he described as the neglect of Nigerian football heroes after their death.

“It’s disheartening that you have Lagos State, you have the Nigerian Football Association. They drop the bulk on the family. I felt in my spirit that there is nothing to put your life for. That’s why I say I have to shift back so that I will not implode. It’s grieving.

“My mother passed on. I never shed tears. My father passed on in my hands. I never shed tears. When Rufai passed on, I had goose pimples on my body. And every individual I’m speaking to, there were tears rolling down my cheeks. What kind of nation is this?” he said

The former international recalled similar situations with late football icons such as Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, and Thompson Oliha, stressing that the treatment of ex-players discouraged him from encouraging his children to serve the country through football.

“With this kind of example, I will never advise even my son to put his feet for this country. Send me out! Do we have a Football Federation or do we have a Football Association in this Lagos State? That this hero, this soldier, this football evangelist, has to be treated this way in his family.

“Could you imagine that the family would be crying just to solicit in within our groups to ask for money? That is madness. Look, please let me go. I don’t want to pour my heart,” he stated.

Rufai, fondly called “Dodo Mayana,” was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations triumph and the country’s debut at the FIFA World Cup the same year.

He passed away in July 2025.

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