January 28th 2025.
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has announced that one of his key players, Oscar Bobb, may soon be making his return to the first-team after being sidelined for a significant amount of time. The team's recent win over Chelsea has boosted their confidence and they have a chance to close the gap on the teams above them in the Premier League when they face Arsenal on Sunday. However, before that, they have a crucial Champions League match against Club Brugge, where they must win to avoid a surprising exit from the competition.
Currently sitting at 25th place in their group, City needs to secure a spot in the top eight to automatically qualify for the knockout stages, while the teams placed 9th to 24th will enter a play-off. A victory against Brugge on Wednesday would see them leapfrog their Belgian opponents and secure a play-off spot. To add to the good news, Guardiola has confirmed that 21-year-old Oscar Bobb could soon be back in action. The young forward impressed in the Community Shield at the beginning of the season but unfortunately suffered an injury during training, keeping him out for over five months.
While Bobb may not be fit for the midweek Champions League match, he could potentially play a role in the crucial league fixture this weekend. Guardiola confirmed this in his press conference on Tuesday, stating, "The players who were able to play against Chelsea are available, and I think Oscar is also back."
In addition to Bobb's return, City also has the opportunity to welcome back John Stones, who could potentially make his first start of the year. The English defender played 35 minutes against Chelsea and impressed the manager, who stated that they will assess his fitness before making a decision on his involvement against Brugge.
While the return of Bobb and Stones is a positive development for City, they are set to be without winger Jeremy Doku, who has sustained a minor injury and missed the last two games. In defence, Ruben Dias is also sidelined with an abductor injury, but Guardiola is confident that his team can cope with the absence of the Portuguese centre-back.
Having won the Champions League just two seasons ago, City were considered one of the favourites for this year's competition. However, their manager insists that the team is not feeling the pressure of a potential shock exit. "I know the players want it. I know how focused they are and I have no doubts," said Guardiola. "It's football, and you never know what can happen. We have to win this game to continue in the competition, but it's not a problem, it's an opportunity."
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