MANCHESTER: Manchester City`s Rodri said he is aiming to return from a serious knee injury before the end of the current campaign despite the Spanish midfielder being ruled out for the season in September.

Rodri, who won the Ballon d`Or last month, underwent surgery after suffering an anterior cruciate ligamentinjury during a 2-2 draw at Arsenal, with manager Pep Guardiola saying he would not play again this season.

`My target is to come back this season,` the 28-yearold told `The Rest is Football` podcast in an episode published on Thursday.

`I think in terms of my mentality its going to be posi-tive for me to not give up the season and throw it.

`I don`t know when ... my target is six, seven months, but the physios, they will dictate.

City are second in the Premier League and will look to reduce the eight-point gap to Liverpool when they visit the leaders on Sunday.-Reuters