Manchester City and Pep Guardiola handed major Oscar Bobb boost ahead of Premier League and FA Cup run-in | OneFootball

Oscar Bobb featured in a non-competitive reserve team fixture earlier this week in a major availability boost to the Manchester City first-team, Pep Guardiola has revealed.

The Norway international suffered a leg bone fracture in the days that followed Manchester City’s FA Community Shield victory over Manchester United on penalties in August of last year, which kept him out till the New Year.

Oscar Bobb first returned to Manchester City team training a few months ago but was dealt a further setback when he injured his ankle in early February – which further delayed his return to first-team action.

Manchester City currently sit in fifth place in the Premier League and are looking to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League with 10 league games between now and the end of the season.

Pep Guardiola can use every bit of ammunition he can get in attack, especially at a time when City look short of inspiration up front when Erling Haaland hasn’t been at his sharp, lethal best.

Jeremy Doku has been in fine form of late and summer signing Savinho has been a silver lining during an underwhelming campaign, with Omar Marmoush also impressing since his arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt in January.

Bobb has been nearing a return but with his recurring fitness setbacks, Guardiola will be wary of not rushing the 21-year-old back and slowly reintegrating him back into the first-team setup.

Speaking in a press conference ahead of a visit from Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, Guardiola gave an update on Bobb’s fitness and when City could see the winger return after an injury-riddled season that has kept him out of the fold since August 2024.

Confirming Bobb featured for City’s EDS side in a fixture on Thursday, Guardiola said, “Yeah, I hope so (that he can return after the international break). He’s training now regularly, he feels really, really better.

“He played a friendly game yesterday (Thursday) with the second team to see how – because he has to be on the pitch in the training sessions. Now, it’s difficult for me because we have all the people available and bringing him some minutes in the situation we are playing, and that’s why it’s going to happen when it gets difficult to dictate how he feels just in the training sessions.”

The Manchester City manager continued, “And it’s good to see for himself to forget in his mind that I’m fine, I’m perfect, I can do what I’m able to do, and after, of course, you have the same chances that the other ones to be with the team.”