Man City only named a bench of seven players in midweek due to their current six injury problems.
For the first time since sustaining a permanent leg fracture earlier this season, Oscar Bobb has spoken.
The 21-year-old made an impression in the Community Shield victory over Manchester United and was City’s most impressive player during the US tour last summer. However, he hasn’t played a minute since that afternoon at Wembley due to a regrettable leg injury that occurred just a few days before the new Premier League season began.
Following a bizarre training ground accident that resulted in a fractured leg, Bobb was initially expected to return as early as November. Guardiola has consistently delayed Bobb’s return date in his frequent press appearances, so it now seems doubtful.
Ahead of the Champions League victory over Sparta Prague in the middle of the week, the City manager even hinted that it might happen as late as February. Bobb, meanwhile, spoke for the first time since his injury while on City’s Premier League Trophy Tour in the United Arab Emirates.
The Norwegian international told the National, “I’m just focussing on getting a little better every day and getting back because it’s been just over two months and we knew it was a long injury.”
“As strong as possible, but not as quickly,” he added. It was regrettable, but I didn’t consider it that horrible because I’ve witnessed many of my friends sustain serious injuries and recover. I therefore considered it more of a pause than a failure.
Getting back into decent shape is my top priority. After that, I intend to build on that, play in more games than I did the previous season, and contribute even more by assisting, scoring goals, and participating in crucial matches.
Bobb should have been given regular minutes at the beginning of the season, thus the injury is extremely disappointing for both the player and Pep Guardiola. During the previous season, the winger made 26 appearances for City, including seven starts.