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.

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."