Manchester City will be without Mateo Kovacic for the start of the new season after the Croatian international required surgery
Mateo Kovacic of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammates during the Premier League match between Everton and City
Mateo Kovacic has been advised to have surgery by Manchester City
Mateo Kovacic will miss the beginning of next season after Manchester City advised him to have surgery on a troublesome heel injury. The Croatian will be sidelined for three months in a move that rules him out of the Club World Cup and could decide where he plays next term.
Kovacic had an up-and-down season with the Blues in his second year at the club, capable of man-of-the-match performances such as in the FA Cup semi-final but also prone to running into trouble on the ball.
Pep Guardiola indicated that the player was not happy at being left out of the FA Cup final squad with an injury precaution, and three days later it was the manager's turn to be fuming when Kovacic was sent off after starting against Bournemouth.
The midfielder has two years remaining on his current deal, but with that area in need of refresh and City keen to add two new faces in the summer transfer window there are eyes on whether the club will look to sell any of Kovacic, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan with all three under contract. Guardiola has made clear he doesn't want a much bigger squad next season, and believes the club agree with him on that.
However, it looks as though Kovacic will be injured for the duration of the transfer window as well as missing the Club World Cup and first few weeks of the Premier League. Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic confirmed that the initial recovery plan for the injury has not worked.
"He had an injury and missed the cup final," he said. "He thought rest would help but it didn't. Pain and swelling appeared concerning the heel tendon.
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"Manchester City decided he must undergo surgery. The recovery is expected to take about three months."
City are looking to complete a deal for AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders in time for the Club World Cup. The 26-year-old was seen as one of the best players in Serie A last season despite a poor season for the Italian club that saw them change managers and miss out on a place in European competition for next season.
Florian Wirtz was also looked at as a successor to Kevin De Bruyne, although Liverpool are now favourites to sign the Bayer Leverkusen star after City pulled back from a deal.
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