Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, will not be present for the upcoming two Premier League matches due to having undergone a minor back surgery in Barcelona.
This information was conveyed through an announcement on Tuesday on Manchester City’s official website, www.mancity.com.
The statement mentioned that Guardiola had been dealing with back pain for a while and had undergone an unplanned surgery in Barcelona.
The statement reads, “Pep Guardiola has today undergone a routine operation on a back problem.
“The Manchester City boss has been suffering from severe back pain for some time lately and flew out to Barcelona for emergency surgery performed by Dr Mireia Illueca. The surgery was a success, and Pep will now recover and rehabilitate in Barcelona.
“In his absence, assistant manager Juanma Lillo will oversee the coaching of the first team on the training field and will assume duties on the touchline until Pep’s return. He is expected to return after the forthcoming international break.
“Everyone at Manchester City wishes Pep a speedy recovery, and looks forward to seeing him back in Manchester soon.”
According to Skysports, Guardiola’s surgery was successful, but he will continue his recovery within the city.
The 52-year-old is not anticipated to return to the touchline for Manchester City until after the international break.
Consequently, he will be absent for the upcoming Sunday’s match against Sheffield United, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, as well as the game against Fulham on September 2.
This is not the first instance of Manchester City managing without their coach since Guardiola’s initial arrival at the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2016.
In the middle of 2018, due to a Champions League touchline ban, Guardiola entrusted Mikel Arteta with the responsibility during the September fixture against Lyon, resulting in a 2-1 loss for City.
Additionally, in early 2022, Guardiola was unable to oversee an FA Cup third-round match against Swindon Town due to contracting coronavirus.
