“He has had a scan” – Norway manager casts fitness doubt over Manchester City star | OneFootball

Norway manager Ståle Solbakken has cast doubt over the fitness of Oscar Bobb as the Manchester City forward received a call-up to the national team this week.

The 22-year-old has only just returned to regular first-team football for Manchester City after missing the majority of the 2024/25 campaign with a fractured leg bone sustained just days before the campaign’s opener away to Chelsea.

Bobb’s comeback was celebrated by fans and staff alike during the tail-end of last season and the opening weeks of the new Premier League season, but the latest developments will spark fresh concern over his ability to remain available during a critical stage of the campaign.

Bobb featured in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton at the Amex Stadium, starting the contest as Pep Guardiola rotated his frontline. However, the Norway international struggled at times against the Seagulls before sustaining a knock that has now thrown his international involvement into doubt.

His situation follows a worrying theme for City, with several players recently suffering fitness setbacks while preparing to join up with their national teams. Rayan Ait-Nouri has already withdrawn from Algeria’s camp due to ongoing recovery from an injury sustained against Tottenham, while Rico Lewis and Nico O’Reilly pulled out of England Under-21 duty.

That trio, along with Oscar Bobb’s potential absence, leaves Pep Guardiola facing mounting issues across multiple positions heading into the next stage of Manchester City’s season.

Speaking this week, as per Fotball Norge, Norway boss Ståle Solbakken issued a wide-ranging report on the fitness of a number of his national team stars including City’s Oscar Bobb off the back of the club’s 2-1 defeat away to Brighton.

Solbakken revealed that the young winger is a doubt for Norway over the coming weeks having sustained a knock during the defeat at the Amex Stadium.

“He has had a scan, so we hope it goes well,” said Solbakken to the media.

For Manchester City, Bobb’s condition will now be carefully assessed, with club medical staff expected to keep close contact with the Norway camp. Given his lengthy absence last season, the club are likely to prioritise his fitness for domestic and European commitments.

Should Bobb be forced to miss international duty, it could hand a valuable recovery window ahead of Manchester City’s return to action against Manchester United in the Premier League following the September break.

However, if his knock proves more serious, Manchester City’s plans could be complicated further, especially as Pep Guardiola already navigates a congested schedule without several first-team regulars.

Much will depend on the results of Bobb’s scan and whether Norway opt to involve him cautiously or withdraw him altogether. For Pep Guardiola, the hope will be that his exciting young forward avoids another long-term setback and can continue building on the momentum of his long-awaited return to action.