Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji issues 17-word statement and photo after undergoing surgery as 10-week recovery looms

Supporters were greeted by a smiling Manuel Akanji at the weekend as the centre-back issued a statement on his social media channels regarding his latest injury set-back.

The Swiss international was withdrawn at the half-time interval of last week’s hugely disappointing comeback defeat from Real Madrid, as Los Blancos scored two goals in the final stages of the contest to overcome Erling Haaland’s brace.

Manchester City will now travel to the Santiago Bernabeu this week ahead of Wednesday night’s return leg in the Spanish capital hoping to overturn a 3-2 deficit against the odds and midway through a difficult campaign for the club.

However, following Akanji’s injury sustained last week, it appears as though the central defender has sustained the worst possible outcome with his abductor problem, as he was forced to undergo surgery on the issue over the weekend.

Speaking during a press conference ahead of City’s eventual 4-0 win over Newcastle on Saturday afternoon, Pep Guardiola told reporters that Akanji would be ruled out for between eight and ten weeks as he has ‘broken’ his abductor.

“We only wish the best recovery for Manu, speedy, because the effort he has done this season has been unbelievable,” Guardiola said on Friday.

“Him and Nathan [Ake] played in difficult conditions; not being able to be top and help the team in an emergency position we had in a lack of players in that position. At the end, the body said enough is enough.”

Now, in an update to supporters in light of the weekend’s action and having undergone surgery on the injury, Manuel Akanji has penned a message to fans as he begin the start of a two-month long rehabilitation period.

In a positive statement issued on his official Instagram channel over the weekend, Akanji wrote alongside an accompanying photo, “Surgery went well. The journey back to recovery has begun. Thanks for all your get-well messages!”

Pep Guardiola has spoken about his alternatives in the squad in the absence of Manuel Akanji, who many expected to hold down the right-back position whenever he was fit for the remainder of the campaign after Kyle Walker’s loan exit to AC Milan in January.

“Well I have Rico (Lewis), I have Matheus (Nunes), I don’t know if (Abdukodir) Khusanov can play there and help. It depends on the shape we play and the way we attack and defend. We’ll see,” Guardiola said last week.

The visit of Newcastle saw Rico Lewis take on the challenge of right-back whilst often inverting to support Nico Gonzalez in defensive midfield when in possession of the ball, although it remains to be seen whether the youngster will be entrusted at the Bernabeu.

The 20-year-old Bury-born defender endured a difficult time in the second-half of last week’s UEFA Champions League clash with Real Madrid, as he was tasked with containing Vinicius Jr among many others in attack for the La Liga leaders.