Having come on as a second-half substitute in the 3-1 win over Bournemouth, Rodri received a standing ovation from the Etihad home support. The Ballon d'Or winner hadn't been seen since an August ACL injury.
"We are really happy that he is back, very happy also for the reaction of our fans towards him. I am sure that he is very happy too. But there is still a long way to go to see the Rodri of before," admitted Guardiola, ahead of today's final match of the Premier League season against Fulham.
And he added: "It will probably be from next season that we will start to see the real Rodri, not yet like the one who played 70 games every three days before the injury. It will take more time, because experience with this type of surgery suggests proceeding with caution, otherwise you risk muscular problems and the like. But this is the first step, both for the mind and for the knee. We still don't see the Rodri we know."
Guardiola is wary, with the manager hoping to involve Rodri more during next month's Club World Cup.