According to this site which is pretty accurate about injuries:
A Minimal Repair technique has been pioneered by Dr Ulrike Muschaweck, at the Hernia Center Munich. This sparing technique doesn't use a surgical 'mesh' to repair the hernia and only the affected tissues are repaired. This means that the person can resume strenuous exercise after just two days, making it the ideal repair for athletes.
AND
Premiership footballers typically return to action after 7 to 10 days following surgery with Dr Ulrike Muschaweck at the Hernia Center Munich.
Now can someone tell me why the f*ck it's gonna be about 4-5 weeks before we have him back in our team???
Surely if he flew to Munich for the operation; he should be fit by now!