Tianjin Teda’s Mikel returns to England for surgery

John Obi Mikel is currently in England to undergo a surgery to repair the abdominal strain picked at his Chinese club Tianjin Teda.

The 30-year-old has missed three games for the Tianjin Tigers since suffering the strain in the team’s 2-0 win against Chongqing Lifan – where he got his first league goal.

According to reports, returning to England was required because the midfielder had undergone series of tests in China - including nuclear magnetic resonance, but the cause of injury which gives him discomfort could not be detected.

With this, Mikel is expected to be out for another three weeks to enable him recover well after the surgery.

Tianjin Teda are 10th on the Super League log with eight points from six games. Qinhuangdao Stadium on Saturday for their clash against Manuel Pellegrini's Hebei China Fortune F.C. who are sixth on the log.