Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has undergone \”emergency surgery\” to address a back ailment and is not expected to lead the team for approximately one more month, as revealed by the club\’s announcement on Tuesday.
The club disclosed that Guardiola has been contending with severe back discomfort for an extended period and has chosen to undergo a surgical procedure in Barcelona, where he will focus on his recovery. The surgery was reported as successful in accordance with the statement from the club.
During this interim period, Guardiola\’s responsibilities will be taken over by his assistant, Juanma Lillo.
The club stated, \”He is anticipated to resume his duties after the upcoming international break.\”
Manchester City is set to face English Premier League matches against Sheffield United and Fulham before the club season enters a two-week break to accommodate international fixtures.
The team\’s return to the league action is scheduled for September 16 against West Ham, with the Champions League group stage commencing the following week.
Juanma Lillo, aged 57, is currently in his second tenure as Guardiola\’s assistant at Manchester City. He previously held the role from 2020 to 2022 after his time at Qingdao Huanghai in China. Lillo departed in June 2022 to take up a coaching position at Al-Sadd in Qatar.
Lillo had previously coached Guardiola during a joint period in Mexico at Dorados.
