Manchester City suffered a heavy blow! The midfielder was injured for 4 months and only played 55 minutes this season.

On November 4, according to the latest report from Croatian media Sportske, Manchester City's strongman Kovacic will undergo surgery due to calcification of his heel and is expected to be out for 4 months. Kovacic has struggled with injuries since the end of last season. In early June, he underwent arthroscopic surgery and did not return until the end of September. After his comeback, he only made two substitute appearances for Manchester City, playing a total of 55 minutes. Now, Kovacic is on the injury list again, which makes Manchester City's midfield employment even more tense.

In the summer window of 2023, Kovacic joined Manchester City from Chelsea for a transfer fee of 29.1 million euros and became the team's main rotation player in the midfield. Last season, Kovacic firmly established himself as the team's main midfielder when Rodri was injured. He made 25 starts in the Premier League in a single season and contributed 6 goals and 2 assists. His performance was quite eye-catching. However, due to injuries, he missed the Club World Cup in the summer and did not get his first chance of the season until the 8th round of the Premier League.

However, the good times did not last long. After Kovacic only played 2 games after his comeback, he suffered from physical problems again. According to Croatian media Sportske, Kovacic has developed "new pain in the heel area" and has traveled to London to undergo examinations including an MRI scan, as well as to visit Dr. James Calder, who performed the surgery on him in June.

Reports revealed that the results of these evaluations showed that Kovacic's heel had "calcification", causing pain and inflammation. After receiving conservative treatment at Manchester City, the problem remained unresolved. The Manchester City midfielder will therefore undergo surgery, which is "structurally lighter than the one in June" and will be carried out by a specialist in London, with the recovery process expected to last around four months. This means that Manchester City may not be able to welcome back the experienced midfielder until the end of February or early March.

Kovacic's another serious injury surgery directly made Manchester City's midfielder somewhat stretched. The Croatian's composure in possession and experience in high-pressure situations make him an important addition to the team. With the arrival of a dense schedule of various competitions, Kovacic's absence will put greater pressure on players such as Nico Gonzalez, Rodri and the newly signed Reinders. Especially since Rodri has been injured frequently this season, Manchester City's midfielder position has become slightly weak.

With the January transfer window approaching, it is time for Guardiola to seriously consider introducing a new defensive midfielder in the winter window. For Kovacic, he needs to recover well in the next four months. In the most competitive stage of the season, strive to come back with full blood and help Manchester City compete for the championship on multiple fronts.