Speaking ahead of today's clash at Brighton, Guardiola says Rodri's presence transforms his team.
He said, "It's a big deal. We know how crucial a player he is. He's trained really well in recent weeks, he played a few minutes against Tottenham, so maybe not for 90 minutes, but he'll start."
Guardiola added: "You don't have to be a coach to understand how important he is. He was named the best player in the world last season before his injury at home to Arsenal, so that's why he's vital. Everyone knows that."
On the decision to keep James Trafford in goal, with Ederson still on the bench: "For this match I've decided to focus on James, then tomorrow we'll close for the international break and the transfer window, and after that we'll see what happens. The season is very long, and goalkeepers always play a lot of games during the year.
"Everyone wants a pat on the back (when they make a mistake). But sometimes if you pat one, the other sees it and gets jealous, so it's better to do it with everyone together or not at all."