Manchester City will head to their game with Aston Villa without Rodri and Jack Grealish, with both players suspended.
During the 3-3 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, the duo both picked up their fifth yellow cards of the season.
Rodri’s came in the first-half for a tactical foul on Pedro Porro and Grealish’s came on 61 minutes when he kicked the ball away.
Frustratingly in Grealish’s case, all of his yellow cards this season have come after he has come off the bench for City.
So he can’t face his old club – and it’s also looking like Jeremy Doku could be ruled out, after he went off with an injury against Spurs. This was something pundit Paul Robinson felt really stung Pep Guardiola’s side, with Doku looking electric.
So quite possibly, there may now be a window of opportunity for young Oscar Bobb against Aston Villa…
Manchester City winger Oscar Bobb might get chance against Aston Villa
With Grealish and Doku (potentially) unavailable, Pep is lacking wide options.
Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden are both capable of paying out wide as well know. But both players are superb in the middle as well, as with Rodri out, you would imagine Bernardo will be played centrally against Villa.
That would create a need for a wide player to come in, so perhaps Pep may turn to Bobb for his first ever Premier League start.
So far this term, Bobb has made seven appearances for City across all competitions. He has started just the one game so far, which was against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup. Arguably, he was City’s best player that night in the 1-0 defeat, with Micah Richards hailing him as ‘outstanding’.
Chances have been few and far between for the Norwegian talent since he came into the first-team squad, but this may now be his moment.
Bobb deserves a chance
Realistically, it is probably unlikely that Pep will turn to Bobb on Wednesday night. After all, Villa are a very good team under Unai Emery and are going to provide a stern test.
Pep will want to go as strong as possible, so Bobb may once again be on the bench.
But it would be great to see him starting, and he does deserve a chance to show what he can do.
It was around this time last season when Pep handed Rico Lewis his first start in the Premier League, which was against Leeds United on December 28.
Just like this time around, City were behind Arsenal in the Premier League table and trying to hunt the Gunners down. City beat Leeds 3-1 and Lewis repaid Pep’s faith with a great display.
It would be amazing to see a similar show of faith from the manager in £8000-a-week youngster Bobb, a player Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard has called ‘fantastic on the ball’.
