Pep Guardiola could repeat Rico Lewis trick with Man City youngster in Champions League

Manchester City begin the defence of their Champions League crown tonight by welcoming Red Star Belgrade to the Etihad.

With Pep Guardiola so desperate to do what only Real Madrid have done before by defending the Champions League crown (since its rebranding in 1992) the City boss won’t be taking the game lightly. However, with City still in with a chance of winning five trophies this season, Guardiola has already conceded he will be forced to play some youngsters in the Carabao Cup, and if there were ever a Champions League game where he decided to do likewise it would probably be this one.

Should Guardiola choose to shuffle his pack and freshen things up, 20-year-old Oscar Bobb could be handed his big chance to shine.

Guardiola has never been a fan of over-inflated squads, and the fact he named just 20 players on his Premier League squad list last month when clubs were able to name 25 players over the age of 21 shows just how thin his current squad is.

Bobb was a standout in the Elite Development Squad that achieved the same feat as the seniors last season by clinching the league title for a third year running.

His impressive performances throughout the season caught the eye of Guardiola, with Bobb already making his Premier League debut this term. For the EDS, Bobb has played on the wing as well as centrally, something that will likely be of interest to Guardiola as he has often used natural midfield players like Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva in the wide areas.

Although it would be unlikely for Guardiola to start Bobb from the off tonight, it would come as no surprise to anyone should Bobb feature if City are comfortably ahead at some point in the game.

In the group stage last season, Guardiola handed Rico Lewis his full debut on a night where he starred as City beat Sevilla 3-1, with Lewis getting the equaliser.

Lewis went on to play 23 times last season, impressing at right-back, left-back and even in midfield. There is no reason why Bobb can’t follow in Lewis’ footsteps and the Champions League could also prove to be his springboard to success.