Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola returned to club training on Wednesday after recovering from his recent back operation, which took three weeks for him to recover. Last season, Pep guided Manchester City to their first-ever Champions League trophy, the only piece of silverware missing from their trophy cabinet in the club’s history.
Guardiola had been suffering from severe back pain for a while now. Just before the start of the international break, he flew to Barcelona for a minor but emergency surgery. Following the successful procedure, the treble-winning manager is now set to return to the City dugout for their next match.
Pep Guardiola returns to Man City dugout
Man City welcomed back their Spanish manager after the club confirmed the news on X, formerly Twitter. The 52-year-old had missed three weeks of action, including the last two EPL matchdays. Despite his absence, the Sky Blues retained the top spot in the table and managed to secure a convincing 2-1 win over Sheffield United. They also thrashed Fulham 5-1 at home, with Erling Haaland netting a hattrick.
👋🩵 pic.twitter.com/s3SNUdNrHj
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 13, 2023
In Guardiola’s absence, his assistant manager, Juanma Lillo, was in charge of the first team from the touchline during the last two league matches. Now Guardiola resumes his duties at the club to defend their league title and Champions League trophy as they prepare for the upcoming important matches.
It will be fascinating to see how new arrivals like Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunez will perform under his supervision, how he will fill Cole Palmer’s place in the lineup, what changes in tactics and the system will take place, and what new role Bernardo Silva will assume in the team.
Man City will face West Ham next in Premier League
The English champions are currently sitting atop the league table and will aim to maintain their 100% win record as the Premier League action returns this weekend. Pep rejoins training to assemble the squad after the international break and prepare the team for their upcoming Premier League away fixture against the in-form West Ham United on Saturday afternoon.
Pep Guardiola is back at Manchester City after missing their last two games to undergo emergency back surgery 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ieKBwEdogB
— GOAL (@goal) September 14, 2023
A busy schedule with two games a week awaits Pep and his team. After the West Ham challenge, more important Champions League fixtures lie ahead for the Sky Blues. Manchester City’s Champions League title defense begins at home against Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday.
How many trophies will Pep Guardiola’s men clinch this season in England and in Europe? Share your thoughts in the comments.
