On August 22, Manchester City announced that Pep Guardiola had required emergency surgery. “Pep Guardiola today underwent routine surgery for a back problem. The Manchester City coach had been suffering from severe back pain for some time and traveled to Barcelona to undergo emergency surgery by Dr Mireia Illueca. The operation was successful and Pep will now recover and rehabilitate in Barcelona. In his absence, assistant manager Juanma Lillo will supervise the first team’s training on the field and take over duties on the sidelines until Pep’s return. Pep’s return is expected after the next international break. Everyone at Manchester City wishes Pep a speedy recovery and looks forward to seeing him back in Manchester soon.”
A few weeks later, the 52-year-old Spanish technician will return to Manchester. A.S. explains that he has recovered perfectly from his operation and that he will lead his men in training on Thursday to prepare for the match against West Ham. In his absence, the residents of the Etihad Stadium, led by Juanma Lillo, were not disturbed since they won against Sheffield United (2-1) and Fulham (5-1). Guardiola will then have a few days to prepare for the first Champions League match against Red Star Belgrade at home.
