Pep Guardiola will be absent for Manchester City‘s upcoming matches against Sheffield United and Fulham after undergoing back surgery.
The City manager flew to Barcelona for an operation on a minor issue that has been bothering him for some time and will now endure a period of recovery before returning to work.
Guardiola travelled back to his home nation where he went under the knife for ’emergency surgery’ and came through the procedure successfully.
The 52-year-old has been in the dugout for opening Premier League victories over Burnley and Newcastle, along with travelling to Greece for the UEFA Supercup, but will miss upcoming fixtures.
In a statement announcing the news on Tuesday, the club stated: ‘The Manchester City boss has been suffering with 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 coaching of the first team on the training field and will assume duties on the touchline until Pep’s return,’ City added.
‘He is expected to return after the forthcoming international break.
‘Everyone at Manchester City wishes Pep a speedy recovery, and look forward to seeing him back in Manchester soon.’
The surgeon responsible for fixing Guardiola’s back problem specialises in spine microsurgery and minimally invasive spine surgery.
According to the Barcelona Spine Institute, Dr Illueca was previously a resident of neurosurgery in Majorca and has gained vast experience in resolving complex fractures of the spine.
Guardiola has entrusted assistant manager, Lillo, with first-team responsibilities in his absence.
The 57-year-old re-joined Guardiola’s coaching staff in August after former assistant Enzo Maresca left to become manager at Championship side Leicester.
Lillo, 57, previously worked for City between 2020 and 2022, helping the club win two Premier League titles and a Carabao Cup.
Guardiola has immense trust in his colleague and previously hailed his return to the Etihad this summer.
‘Juanma sees things no one else in the game sees. He understands football on an incredible level, so he is the perfect person for me to work alongside,’ Guardiola said in August.
‘I have always been inspired by him – his knowledge of football, his intelligence and his humanity mark him out as a very special person in my life – and we have a shared ideology.
‘He is a friend, a colleague and an inspiration. I am so, so happy he is back here at Manchester City.
‘His preparation for matches is absolutely amazing. I know he will raise standards because he works so hard every single day.’
