Ipswichvs.Man City

The Citizens have been hampered with injuries for the majority of this season, something that has contributed to their alarming decline on all fronts, but those issues now appear to be easing up heading into the second half of the campaign.

While Rodri remains a long-term absentee with an ACL injury, John Stones is also set to remain on the sidelines as he continues to recover from a foot injury that has forced him to miss the last five games.

However, Man City have been boosted by the return to training of centre-back Ruben Dias and attacker Oscar Bobb, the former of whom made his comeback earlier this week.

Dias has missed City's last six matches with a muscle injury, while Bobb has spent the last five months out recovering from a leg fracture.

Ahead of Sunday's trip to Suffolk, Guardiola has hinted that Man City's clash with Ipswich may come too soon for Bobb, but the attacker has not been entirely ruled out just yet.

Guardiola to assess squad fitness ahead of Ipswich trip

"I don't think he's [too far away]. Still he has a little bit doubts because it's [been] a long time [out]. Training session by training session, he will be fine," Guardiola said about Bobb at a press conference on Friday.

The Catalan coach was also asked about the fitness of striker Erling Haaland, who was seen in some discomfort during the second half of Man City's 2-2 draw at Brentford on Tuesday.

Offering a general update on his squad, Guardiola said: "Yesterday was a day off. We will go to training today and we will see [how the players are feeling].

"Some players finished [the match against Brentford] with some problems like every game, we will see."

Haaland, who has committed his future to Man City by signing an extraordinary nine-and-a-half-year contract, is expected to shake off any niggles he has in order to start on Sunday, while Dias's availability at this stage remains unknown - a start against Ipswich seems unlikely, though.

The availability of Kyle Walker is also unknown; the defender has asked to leave Man City and has subsequently been left out of the last two matchday squads against Salford City and Ipswich.

Man City currently sit sixth in the Premier League table, three points behind the top four, and will endeavour to complete the double over an Ipswich side they beat 4-1 at the Etihad in August last year.

Written by

Oliver Thomas