The surgery was necessary due to an Achilles injury that Mateo Kovacic sustained. He will now miss the Club World Cup matches in the United States in June, where Manchester City will compete in Group G against Wydad AC, Al Ain, and Juventus. Kovacic will likely watch the games from home as his team aims to win the tournament.

Croatia's national team manager, Zlatko Dalic, spoke about Kovacic's injury. He explained that the midfielder had previously tried resting to recover from the injury, but it didn't work. The injury affected the heel tendon, causing pain and swelling.

Manchester City will start their Club World Cup campaign in Philadelphia on June 18th against Wydad AC. They will then play Al Ain in Atlanta on June 22nd and Juventus in Orlando on June 26th. Kovacic's absence will be a significant loss for the team, but the club is wishing him a speedy recovery.

The extent of Kovacic's recovery time is still unknown, but he will need to regain his fitness and strength to return to the team. Manager Pep Guardiola will have to make adjustments to the lineup without Kovacic, who is an important player for Manchester City.