Pep misses two matches — Manchester City head coach Josep Guardiola will miss City’s next two Premier League matches due to back surgery.

In an official statement, City says that the surgery was not a planned operation. Guardiola has been experiencing serious back pain recently and was forced to travel to Barcelona to go under the surgeon’s knife as a matter of urgency.

The 52-year-old Catalan will now miss the away trip to Sheffield United next Sunday, as well as the home game against Fulham on 2 September.

In Guardiola’s absence, City’s first-team manager will be his assistant Juanma Lillo.

Guardiola will return to duty after the international break in the away match against West Ham on 16 September.

Guardiola has been working at Manchester City since July 2016. The current agreement of the 52-year-old specialist with the citizens is valid until the summer of 2025.