Bono is expected to return to Ireland to recuperate after his emergency back surgery in Munich, but U2 has canceled its upcoming U.S. concerts and the scheduled headlining appearance at the Glastonbury festival on June 25.
According to the Irish Times, band manager Paul McGuinness said the 50-year-old singer "feels awful" about the tour changes, which will affect over a million fans.
"Clearly this is a serious injury and the recuperation time necessary to rehabilitate Bono is a big problem for the U2 tour and has unfortunately necessitated the postponement of 16 shows in North America," he said.
"Those shows were to occur between June 3 in Salt Lake City and July 19 in Meadowlands Stadium," McGuinness added. The earliest possible date for Bono's return, according to the band's website, would be Aug. 6 in Turin, Italy.
U2 were to have been the headline act on the main stage at Glastonbury on June 25.
Speaking this morning Bono has said he is "heartbroken" by the turn of events.
Professor Joerg Tonn, the neurosurgeon who treated Bono, described his condition as a "sudden onset disease" which caused temporary partial paralysis. The injury happened while the singer was training in preparation for the tour.
"He was already in severe pain with partial paralysis of the lower leg. The ligaments surrounding the disc had an 8-millimeter tear and during surgery we discovered fragments of the disc had traveled into the spine canal.
"The surgery was the only cause of treatment for full recovery and to avoid further paralysis. Bono is now much better with complete recovery of his motor-deficit,” Tonn said.
"His prognosis is excellent but to obtain a sustainable result he must now enter a period of rehabilitation."
