Manchester City have confirmed that Jo\u0161ko Gvardiol will undergo surgery after suffering a broken leg in the Premier League draw with Chelsea. There is no set timeframe on his expected return, with further details likely to follow once the operation is complete. It is feared the 23-year-old, who has transitioned from left back to centre back, will be sidelined for some time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a hard moment,\u201d Gvardiol posted on X in response to the news of his fracture. \u201cBut it will never define me,\u201d he added. \u201cI know who I am and where I come from. \u201cTo the Cityzens, thank you for your endless support. I love you, and I\u2019ll fight every day to return stronger, as a City warrior.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gvardiol has made clear his priority is to be available for the World Cup this summer. Just under five months remain in the 2025\u201326 season to the end of May, with the World Cup to follow in June. Croatia, for whom he is a key player, are set to face England, Panama and Ghana in the group stage. The nation reached the 2018 final and finished third in 2022.<\/p>\n
The injury is a significant blow for Manchester City beyond the loss of Gvardiol. R\u00faben Dias was also unable to complete the Chelsea game, forced off in the closing stages with a muscle injury and is now expected to miss up to six weeks. With John Stones already ruled out since the start of December with no set return, and Nathan Ak\u00e9\u2014by Guardiola\u2019s own admission\u2014only able to play limited minutes, Abdukodir Khusanov is currently the only fully fit centre back in the first-team squad.<\/p>\n
Manuel Akanji is on loan at Inter with no recall clause, while Vitor Reis and Juma Bah are with Girona and Nice respectively, and are reported to be seeing those loans through. The club and player will now focus on the immediate medical steps and rehabilitation timelines, with both Manchester City and Croatia monitoring progress ahead of the summer tournament.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy heart beats for Croatia,\u201d he stated in a follow-up post. \u201cAlways! I will rise again, better than ever! For my club. For my brothers at club and national level. For my people. For Croatia.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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