Manchester City look to offload Guidetti in Bolton loan move

25-Nov-2012 4:10:00 AM

The 20-year-old is making good progress in his recovery from a mystery virus that threatened his career, and the champions are hoping he can find first-team action elsewhere

By Greg Stobart

Manchester City are hoping to offload Swedish striker John Guidetti on loan to Bolton Wanderers in January as he recovers from a mystery virus that threatened to ruin his career this summer.

The 20-year-old was struck down with food poisoning after eating contaminated chicken prior to Euro 2012 and the illness attacked his central nervous system, leaving his right leg paralysed after a phenomenal loan spell with Feyenoord last season.

However, Guidetti has impressed City's medical staff after doing gym work in recent weeks and the club will assess whether he will be fit enough to go out on loan in the New Year to continue his rehabilitation.

Speaking about his recovery in October, Guidetti said: "It's going well - I can run, I can shoot, I can pass, so I am definitely getting there, but we have to be a bit more patient and of course I want to get out there every day, it's what I long for."

The young forward is regarded highly at City, and was rewarded with a three-year contract renewal in October amid reported interest from a number of clubs, including Bayern Munich and QPR.

Bolton have been highlighted by City as the ideal club for Guidetti to ease his way back in to first-team contention, with Dedryck Boyata and Vladimir Weiss having previously moved to the Reebok Stadium on a temporary basis from the Etihad.

Guidetti scored 20 goals in 23 games during his loan spell in Rotterdam last term, and was widely tipped as the ideal partner for Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Sweden's Euro 2012 squad before coming down with the illness in April.

Feyenoord had attempted to renew the Swede's loan during the summer, but Roberto Mancini was keen to test the youngster in England, while Guidetti has made clear that he wants regular first-team football to continue his development.