Guardiola to miss multiple EPL games after back surgery

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will miss his club’s next two matches as he recovers from minor back surgery. The Spanish coach was fairly subdued on the sidelines in City’s slim 1-0 victory against Newcastle at the weekend. Match commentators even noted how Guardiola was sitting on a cooler near the dugout throughout the game.

The reigning Premier League champions revealed the setback for their coach in a statement released on Tuesday. “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,” read the official statement.

“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. He is expected to return after the forthcoming international break.”

Assistant coach has plenty of management experience

Lillo is a veteran coach with experience in the field since the early 1980s. The Spanish assistant previously worked under Guardiola from 2020-2022 after Mikel Arteta took the head coaching position at Arsenal. Lillo then departed his role to take over as manager of Qatari side Al Sadd. However, he returned to City ahead of the current campaign.

Guardiola previously missed a match in 2018 after a UEFA suspension for conduct during a matchup with Liverpool. Arteta filled in for the boss, but City suffered a 2-1 defeat to Lyon in its opening Champions League game of the 2018/2019 season.

Guardiola expected to return from back surgery after international break

City’s manager will miss Premier League fixtures against Sheffield United and Fulham due to the back injury. Guardiola will then benefit from the upcoming international break. The two-week interruption will halt European club competitions. The manager should return to the sidelines for a trip to West Ham on Sep. 16.

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