August 22, (THEWILL) – Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, will be absent from the dugout for the club’s next two English Premier League fixtures against Sheffield United and Fulham, after undergoing emergency back surgery in Barcelona.
The club announced on Tuesday, that Guardiola had flown to Spain to see Dr Mireia Illueca for the procedure due to persistent back pain. The surgery was deemed successful and Guardiola will remain in Barcelona to recover and rehabilitate over the coming days. In his absence, assistant manager, Juanma Lillo, will take charge of first-team coaching duties and assume touchline responsibilities.
Guardiola is expected to return to Manchester after the upcoming international break. City face Sheffield United on Sunday, before hosting Fulham the following weekend. Their first match after the international fixtures is an away trip to West Ham United on September 16th.
So far, City have enjoyed a strong start to the new EPL season with wins over Burnley, a 3-0 away opening game, and Newcastle United, which ended 1-0 at the Etihad. They also captured the UEFA Super Cup last week, defeating Sevilla on penalties in Athens.
Last season, Guardiola led City to a domestic double, claiming the EPL title and the FA Cup while capping an excellent season off with the UEFA Champions League title for a historic treble. The club will hope to welcome the decorated manager back as soon as possible as they aim to defend their EPL crown this campaign.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
