Bridge out for a month

(GSM) – Manchester City full- back Wayne Bridge is set to be sidelined for around a month after undergoing a hernia operation on Tuesday.

Bridge’s season at City has been marked by injuries. The 29-year-old had only recently returned to first-team action for Roberto Mancini’s side after missing 13 games with a knee injury.

His comeback in the loss at Hull on February 6 was played out in the glare of an intense media spotlight following allegations of an affair between his former partner Vanessa Perroncel and ex-Chelsea team-mate John Terry.

Bridge recently made himself unavailable for England’s World Cup squad to avoid having to play alongside Terry in the England set-up.

The operation is set to rule Bridge out of five league games. Sylvinho or Javier Garrido will stand in for Bridge, who could return in time to feature against city rivals Manchester United on April 17.