Guardiola has been out of action since undergoing an emergency surgery for ‘severe back pain’ in Spain
By Kehinde Okeowo
Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola has returned to the club’s training ground ahead of the Citizens’ English Premier League (EPL) clash against West Ham United on Saturday.
The premier league champions announced in August that Guardiola would be out for ‘weeks’ after emergency surgery for ‘severe back pain.’ in Barcelona, Spain, where he also spent time for recovery and rehabilitation.
The 52-year-old has now returned to England ahead of Man City’s league fixture on Saturday and their UEFA Champions League opener against Crvena Zvezda next Tuesday.
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In Guardiola’s absence, first-team assistant manager Juanma Lillo was in the dugout in the 2-1 and 5-1 wins over Sheffield United and Fulham, respectively.
Manchester City currently sits at the top of the EPL table with a maximum of 12 points after winning all four opening fixtures of the season.
Another win against West Ham will give them a further 3 points and ensure they open a 5 point gap between them and the hammers, it will also ensure none of those behind them can catch up with them.
However, a loss could see West Ham leapfrog them, while a draw or loss, could see any of Spurs, Arsenal or Liverpool can go ahead of them.