The Norwegian midfielder was in impressive form for City’s Elite Development Squad against Arsenal last week and, having made a number of senior appearances already, is hoping he can help the Blues into the fourth round and take a step closer to realising one of his boyhood dreams.
“I’m hoping to play and I think the boss may select a mix of experienced and younger players, so we’ll see,” he said.
“We want to win everything we can this season – it won’t be easy, but we’ll be giving our all to ve successful in each competition we take part in and the manager will only field a team he thinks can win a game.
“It’s exciting to think we are only four wins away from a Wembley final – that’s something all the players are acutely aware of and last season we came within a whisker of reaching the final, so we’re doubly determined to make sure we give each round our best shot.”
Abdi admits that there is a buzz among the home-grown players whenever the cup competitions come around, with first-team places very much up for grabs.
“We have so many good players at the club this year and the manager can only ever pick eleven each week, that when the Carling Cup or some European games come around, the younger players in the squad know there’s a chance we might play,” he said.
It’s perfect for us because if we don’t get our chance in the Premier League, we can still show we are good enough in these games instead
...Abdisalam Ibrahim
“The thought of playing at Wembley one day is every kid’s dream. When I was small and living in Norway, I used to watch the FA Cup final and imagine what it would be like to walk out and play a major final there.
“I think West Brom will put out a strong side and they are a good home team anyway. They’ll be fired up and will be desperate to beat us, so we’re expecting it to be like a cup final anyway!”
