Manchester City will hope to have a number of players return from injury in the coming weeks ahead of an FA Cup and Premier League top four challenge plus the Club World Cup.
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Manchester City's Norwegian midfielder #52 Oscar Bobb (L), Manchester City's Norwegian striker #09 Erling Haaland (C) and Manchester City's English midfielder #75 Nico O'Reilly warms up ahead of during the English FA Community Shield football match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium, in London on August 10, 2024. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) / NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)
Oscar Bobb (left) is nearing a full return for Manchester City.
Manchester City are getting closer to their familiar squad after a season ravaged by injuries.
However one look at the defence shows that City are not out of the woods yet with their injury crisis. Abdukodir Khusanov has been fast-tracked into the side after his summer move and has quickly become a fan favourite.
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But he is still only just 21 and it won't have been the plan to put him at the heart of the top four bid and also the FA Cup hopes on which City's season rely. It's also a lot of pressure on Ruben Dias to lead the back four, as well as ever-present Josko Gvardiol at left-back.
City remain only one injury away from another defensive disaster, so they will be hoping to get through the next five or six games before John Stones and Manu Akanji return from their respective injuries to help out again.
Both can play right-back, too, which would ease the pressure on Rico Lewis who is able to play on the left if Gvaridol needs a rest. However popular Khusanov is, Stones and Akanji will walk back into the first choice XI, and one of them would probably play on the right, too - just look at the first half against Real Madrid at the Etihad last month.
A more immediate injury boost could be that of Ederson, who missed the draw with Brighton with an issue that ruled him out of Brazil's international fixtures. With some time to recover, City will hope he is back - and the FA Cup tie this weekend gives him a few more days given Stefan Ortega usually plays in the cup.
And if Guardiola wants to reinvigorate his attack, he could look to summer star Oscar Bobb, who made his long-awaited comeback for the under-21s before the break. Erling Haaland has spoken positively about Bobb's recovery, and City will want him to rediscover the form from the summer that made him unstoppable before his leg break.
If he can play like that before the end of the season, he would compete with Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden and Savinho for a wing spot and could be the spark City need to get over the line in the league and cup - and then help some tired players when it comes to the Club World Cup in June.
The same goes for Claudio Echeverri - the January arrival who impressed in Argentina and is awaiting his debut. City will assess the teenager before making a decision on his future in the summer regarding a loan or first-team spot. If he takes any change he gets between now and the end of the campaign, Echeverri could be a wildcard option in the summer.
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