Pep Guardiola, aged 52, has returned to his homeland, Spain, to recover from an emergency operation. In light of his absence, Manchester City has announced that his assistant, Juanma Lillo, will be assuming responsibility for the club’s first-team duties. This shift will place Lillo on the sidelines for the imminent matches against Sheffield United and Fulham.
Guardiola’s return to the Etihad Stadium had occurred just earlier this month following his tenure managing the Qatari team, Al Sadd. The club revealed in a statement on Tuesday that Guardiola had undergone a scheduled surgery to address a persistent back problem. The surgery, conducted by Dr. Mireia Illueca in Barcelona, was successful, and Guardiola is set to recuperate and rehabilitate in the same city.
During his absence, assistant manager Juanma Lillo will oversee the coaching of the first team during training sessions and will fulfill touchline responsibilities until Guardiola’s return. The anticipation is that Guardiola will be back after the upcoming international break.