City have gone ahead with the £21m deal with Borussia Dortmund despite the fact midfielder Gundogan dislocated his knee cap towards the end of last season to rule himself out of Euro 2016.
But the 25-year-old player – who also missed a year with a back injury while with Dortmund – has re-assured City that although he will miss the first month of the season he expects to be fully fit by the beginning of September and they are not taking a gamble.
He said: “I had a dislocated patella. It happened in training but it’s not as bad as it sounds. A ligament was also stretched and so they operated on it. Now I need to rest and then I hope that at the end of August or start of September I’ll be back on the field and starting a new chapter.
“We have to look from week-to-week to see how it goes but everyone says I’m in good condition and better than expected so I’m satisfied with how it is in this moment. I hope that it recovers fast so that I can play as quickly as possible for Manchester City.
“Although I have this injury everyone was sure they wanted to sign me and they called me directly to ask what had happened. This was a great feeling for me. Now I want to give something back with the way I play football.”
Gundogan also says he is excited by the prospect of working with Guardiola and playing in England.
He added: “I am looking forward to playing for Pep an incredible amount. He is one of the greatest coaches of all time. What he did at Barcelona and also at Bayern Munich is amazing. He has won so many titles and that is something very special. I think every player and everyone who loves football wants to play under him so I am really happy to work with him and to have this chance.
“It’s [playing in England] a challenge, it’s something new that will start now in my life. I have never played in the Premier League before so I don’t know how it will be, but I am very open to new experiences so I am really looking forward to it. It will be fantastic to play for City. It is a fantastic team with fantastic players and I want to learn from them. Of course I will show what I can do and I hope the fans will like it.”
“It feels amazing to be a Manchester City player. It is a new chapter in my life so I am very happy that it’s sorted. I’m looking forward to a new challenge and I’m very happy. I have to thank Pep Guardiola who I spoke to a lot about this move and also Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain who I had intense conversations with.
“From the first moment I was sure it was the right thing for me. To play in the Premier League and to play for one of the best teams in the Premier League is a big challenge. I am very happy to join the Manchester City family.”
Gundogan, whose arrival is likely to hasten the departure of Yaya Toure, describes himself as a box-to-box midfielder.
“I like to have the ball and play beautiful football. That’s what the people want to see and what makes football so special. I have come here to win and to play the beautiful game. I see myself as a mix between number six and number eight in central midfield – this is the best position for me, as a box-to-box midfielder. I love to create chances and to play the perfect pass so that my team-mates can create an assist or score on their own.”
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