Manchester City midfielder ruled out for “about three months” following surgery on heel bone problem | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City appear set to miss Mateo Kovacic during the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, his national team head coach has confirmed.

The large majority of Manchester City’s first-team stars are currently away on national team duties with an array of UEFA Nations League finals, FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and international friendlies on the agenda after the regular club season concluded.

As such, some players will have little to no rest between the conclusion of Manchester City’s Premier League campaign and the start of their venture out in the United States for the FIFA Club World Cup.

The Etihad Stadium have already announced to supporters that first-team training will resume for players not involved in national team commitments on Monday 9 June, with a view towards preparing for the summer competition Stateside.

However, one figure that now appears set to miss out on the tournament as a whole and potentially the start of next season is Mateo Kovacic, following on from reports in Croatia indicating that the midfielder has been suffering from a heel bone issue.

Speaking during a recent media conference ahead of Croatia’s FIFA World Cup qualifying clash against Gibraltar on Friday evening, manager Zlatko Dalić provided a significant update concerning the fitness of the 31-year-old.

“He had an injury and missed the [FA] Cup final [for Manchester City against Crystal Palace]. He thought rest would help, but it didn’t.

“Pain and swelling appeared, concerning the heel tendon,” Dalić revealed.

“The Club [Manchester City] decided he must undergo surgery,” he added. “The recovery is expected to take about three months.”

Thankfully for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, it would appear as though support in the absence of Kovacic is readily available, and those options may only become stronger through the form of new arrivals in the transfer market.

Nico Gonzalez is expected to play a more prominent role in the defensive midfield and No.8 position next season after his big-money move from FC Porto in January, while there is also a belief that Tijjani Reijnders could arrive from AC Milan in the coming days.

Manchester City officials are in ongoing conversation and negotiation with the Italian giants over the Dutch international, and the widespread understanding is that there is a confidence from both sides that an arrangement can be found at the €70 million mark.