Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has revealed how an injury to Teboho Mokoena could have been avoided if he had followed a decision by Pep Guardiola on Rodri.
With the season reaching the closing stages, fatigue has become an issue for clubs playing too many competitions and also in the latter stages that decide titles.
Manchester City is one of the teams, where midfielder Rodri openly admitted that he needs a rest and was "tired" after their UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid, which ended 3-3.
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After the game, Man City manager Guardiola was asked if he would listen to Rodri and rest him ahead of a Premier League game against Luton Town.
Guardiola suggested that he was torn on whether to rest him or not.
"I didn't speak to him, but if he needs a rest, he will have a rest. Or no. I don't know," the Spanish coach said in his post-match press conference.
"I have the feeling that the games when he was tired, like against Crystal Palace and Madrid, he was better in the second half. He runs more and was precise in the second half than the first."
Mokwena had the same conundrum with Mokoena, ahead of their game against Moroka Swallows, where the Bafana Bafana midfielder injured himself after scoring a cracker of a goal.
"Teboho Mokoena, before he got injured, there was a big thing about Rodri asking to be rested and 'Tebza' and I had this discussion, and I said to him, 'I'm thinking of resting you against Swallows'," Mokwena told the media after their 3-0 win over TS Galaxy.
"And he said, 'But no, I want to play, I want to help the team…'
"And in the inside of me, I had this thing that I think I need to rest this player. There was that gut feeling, but I betrayed that gut feeling in that moment and I played him.
"Now there's also the part that says he went on to put [in] an unbelievable performance up until he got injured, including a special goal that he scored.
"So, sometimes God puts a silver lining and also it says to you don't ignore the lesson and the lesson was stay true to your gut feeling," he said.
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Guardiola eventually decided to rest Rodri in their 5-1 win over Luton Town in the Premier League.
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