John Stones found Rodri in good spirits when he spoke to the Manchester City midfielder following his surgery. Stones rang the Spaniard up on Sunday after the Newcastle game before the team then trained and flew to Bratislava for their Champions League campaign.
Rodri will not be with the group after suffering a tear of his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, with surgery putting him out for the season.
It is an enormous blow for Pep Guardiola and City as they strive for success, but also a major disappointment for a footballer who has worked his way to the top of his profession and was pushing to win the Ballon d'Or.
The Blues will have to adjust to life with Rodri, and Rodri will have to accept that he won't be able to play football for the best part of a year. READ MORE: I had to leave City - now I'm Europe's next star thanks to Sancho and Bellingham READ MORE: No shake, one kiss, two points - inside City's week after Arsenal Despite the obvious sadness, Stones found Rodri to be positive when he spoke to his teammate at the weekend.