Why Abdukodir Khusanov and Oscar Bobb are absent from Manchester City’s squad against Bournemouth | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has opted to leave out both Abdukodir Khusanov and Oscar Bobb from his Manchester City squad to take on Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon.

City come into the clash looking to build on their impressive midweek showing in the Carabao Cup, where a heavily rotated group progressed past Swansea City, while there is also an intent to return to winning ways in the Premier League after a 1-0 away loss at Aston Villa.

With fixtures piling up ahead of the November international break, Pep Guardiola has been managing minutes across his squad carefully, maintaining rhythm for key names while preserving fitness throughout the group.

Bournemouth arrive at the Etihad Stadium sitting second in the Premier League, making it a demanding test requiring focus and strategic selection. The meeting comes at a pivotal stage in the season, with the squad juggling both domestic and European commitments.

Now, as per MailSport’s Jack Gaughan, it has been confirmed that both Abdukodir Khusanov and Oscar Bobb have been left out of the Manchester City matchday squad against Bournemouth due to ‘tactical reasons’.

Those decisions were among eight changes made by manager Pep Guardiola to his starting line-up off the back of the midweek Carabao Cup fourth round victory away to Swansea City in South Wales.

A trio of Nico, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki became the only players to start both at the Swansea.com Stadium in the League Cup and against Bournemouth in the Premier League, with the Cherries posing a stern test as Andoni Iraola’s side sit second in the top-flight.

Neither Khusanov nor Bobb’s omission should be seen as a reflection of form or progress, but instead a case of Pep Guardiola leaning into squad flexibility and experience for a high-intensity Premier League fixture.

Both players remain firmly in the club’s long-term plans, having impressed internally with their attitude and application, while Khusanov in particular is regarded as a serious option to hold down a place at right-back when fully-fit and available.

With further UEFA Champions League and Premier League fixtures fast approaching, the pair in question are expected to return to involvement soon as Pep Guardiola rotates between competitions.

As Manchester City continue their pursuit of success on multiple fronts, squad depth will once again prove essential and opportunities for key talents like Khusanov and Bobb are likely to come sooner rather than later.