Manchester City are ready for the new season, says Oscar Bobb | OneFootball

Oscar Bobb insists Manchester City are ready to resume competitive action for the forthcoming 2025/26 season, off the back of a final pre-season contest of the summer.

Bobb started for his boyhood club in their 3-0 pre-season win over Palermo on Saturday evening, impressing in a 45-minute appearance before Pep Guardiola made 10 changes to his lineup at half-time.

After a breakthrough 2023-24 season wherein he netted a monumental injury-time winner away at Newcastle, Bobb starred in Manchester City’s FA Community Shield win over Manchester United in August 2024 – and seemed destined for a huge year ahead.

However, injuries got the better of the Norway international in the last 12 months, with Bobb suffering a leg break in training just days after the Community Shield triumph at Wembley, which ruled him out of training till the beginning of 2025.

Lady Luck didn’t shine on the Manchester City academy graduate following his brief return to training in the spring as Bobb suffered a further hamstring setback to delay his return to first-team action.

The Etihad Stadium stood up and applauded one of their own as Bobb came off the bench to mark his much-awaited return to the pitch in City’s 2-0 Premier League win over Leicester City in April.

It seems like it is now make or break for Bobb at City and after impressing at the FIFA Club World Cup, the young attacker will be desperate to keep himself fit and stake his claim in a much-improved frontline in the 2025-26 campaign.

Speaking after Manchester City‘s 3-0 victory over Palermo in Sicily on Saturday night, Bobb spoke of the importance of the outing and the belief within the camp that Pep Guardiola’s squad are ready for the new campaign.

“(It was) good, it’s great to get some minutes, in a lovely stadium,” the Norwegian international explained. “I think it’s great for everyone. I think we feel ready, although we still have a week of work ahead of us.”

He continued, “It’s great to get these games in. It’s [heat and humidity] tiring, but it’s great. It helps me a lot and prepares us for what’s ahead.”

Offering his thoughts on Manchester City’s new recruits over the summer transfer window thus far, the Academy graduate said: “Marcus (Bettinelli) isn’t here today, but the other four I think, have been great.

“It’s a pleasure playing with Rayan (Cherki), the other Rayan (Ait-Nouri) and Tijjani (Reijnders). They’re all world class players. It’s a pleasure.”

“I used to live upstairs in the Academy with him (James Trafford), so we’re good and old friends. He’s become a great, great goalkeeper.”