da esoccer bet： The Catalan coach is recovering from back surgery and his assistant Juanma Lillo is taking charge of the Premier League champions in his absence

da heads bet： Manchester City will be without Pep Guardiola on the sidelines in their Premier League match at Sheffield United on Sunday.

The City head coach was forced to undergo surgery last week to treat a long-running back problem and will be unable to work with his players for a few weeks.

It means Guardiola will not be able to take any training sessions or matches until he fully recovers from the operation.

GettyWhat has happened to Pep Guardiola?

The Catalan coach has suffered from back pain for more than a decade, with the problem dating all the way back from when he was coaching Barcelona. The pain got particularly bad following City's win over Newcastle and the coach decided to fly to Barcelona to undergo surgery.

"Pep Guardiola has today undergone a routine operation on a back problem," said a statement from City on Tuesday. "The Manchester City boss has been suffering with severe back pain for some time lately, and flew out to Barcelona for emergency surgery performed by Dr Mireia Illueca. The surgery was a success, and Pep will now recover and rehabilitate in Barcelona."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesHow long will Guardiola be absent for?

City have not confirmed exactly how long Guardiola will be out for as it depends on how quickly he recovers from the back surgery. However, the club hope he will return to work in mid-September.

"He is expected to return after the forthcoming international break," added City's statement. "Everyone at Manchester City wishes Pep a speedy recovery, and look forward to seeing him back in Manchester soon."

Getty ImagesHow many matches will Guardiola miss?

Guardiola is likely to miss two matches. He will be absent from City's visit to Sheffield United in the Premier League on Sunday as well as their home match against Fulham on September 2. Assuming his recovery goes well, he will be back in the dugout when City visit Wolves on September 16.

Getty ImagesWho will coach City while Guardiola is away?

Guardiola's assistant coach Juanma Lillo is taking charge of the team in his absence. Lillo has been taking training since Tuesday and did Friday's press conference. He will be on the sidelines in the away match at Sheffield United and the home game against Fulham.