Rodri returns to Man City training after ACL injury BY ESPN Fri Feb 28 2025 22:33:00 Ballon d' Or winner Rodri has returned to individual training with Manchester City, boosting his prospects of playing again this season after suffering an ACL injury in September. The Spain midfielder was initially expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering the knee injury in City's 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sept. 22. However, he was seen back at City's training ground being put through drills in a video City put out on their social feeds, featuring the caption "on the road to recovery." The absence of Rodri, who was awarded the Ballon d'or for 2024 after helping Man City win the Premier League title and Spain lift the Euro 2024 crown, has been keenly felt by Pep Guardiola's side. On the road to recovery 💪 pic.twitter.com/WovR8p6417— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 28, 2025 Without his commanding presence, City have fallen 20 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid earlier this month. Rodri has said he is targeting a return in time to feature at the Club World Cup, which begins for City on June 18. Guardiola, though, has previously urged caution with the 28-year-old's recovery. "He's positive but I don't know to be honest. An ACL is an ACL," the City manager said last month. "Always I believe in long injuries there's a time you must respect because of the human body. "The ACL is the ACL for every football player and every athlete so there is a time. "[The] Most important [thing] for Rodri now is to recover well." Link to the original article Bayern go 11 points clear with win at Stuttgart BY Reuters Fri Feb 28 2025 21:57:47 - Angelo Stiller - 34' - Michael Olise - 45' - Leon Goretzka - 64' - Kingsley Coman - 90' Bayern Munich go 11 points clear with win at Stuttgart Bayern Munich fought back from a goal down to maintain their place at the top of the Bundesliga with a 3-1 victory at VfB Stuttgart on Friday. The win keeps Bayern comfortably atop the Bundesliga with 61 points, 11 ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, though they have played one match more. Stuttgart took the lead in the 34th minute through Angelo Stiller, who struck a left-footed shot into the top corner from the edge of the box. In first half stoppage time, Bayern equalised as Michael Olise made a perfectly timed run and finished with ease. Bayern turned the match around in the 64th minute when a quick-thinking Leon Goretzka intercepted the ball from a defender inside the box and calmly slotted it home to give the leaders a 2-1 lead. Stuttgart made another mistake just before the end when Josha Vagnoman attempted to play the ball back to keeper Alexander Nubel, only for Kingsley Coman to intercept it and slot it in from distance to give Bayern their third and final goal. Game Information - Referees: - Benjamin Brand Link to the original article Girma set to make Chelsea WSL debut vs. Brighton BY ESPN Fri Feb 28 2025 21:57:47 Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has said that United States women's national team defender Naomi Girma will make her debut for the club vs. Brighton & Hove Albion in Women's Super League play on Sunday. The squad inclusion is Girma's first since joining the club in a record $1.1 million deal last month from the San Diego Wave. Girma became the first player to break the $1m mark in the women's game. The fee surpasses the previous record deal of $767,600, paid by NWSL side Bay FC to sign Zambia forward Racheal Kundananji from Madrid CFF in February 2024. Last month, she was presented to the crowd at Stamford Bridge before Chelsea's Women's Super League (WSL) victory over Arsenal but has not yet played. Girma missed February's SheBelieves Cup for the United States due to a calf injury. Girma, Sam Kerr and Mia Fishel trained over the international break. Kerr and Fishel are recovering from ACL injuries. "Naomi, we practiced really well during these two weeks," the Chelsea head coach said. "We brought some [academy] boys [into training] and we had