Manchester City could be without their most dangerous weapon for Tuesday’s Champions League clash. Erling Haaland is a doubt for the visit of AEK Athens after suffering a blow to the foot in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Ipswich Town — and with Antoine Semenyo ruled out for eight weeks, manager Enzo Maresca is suddenly short of options up front.
Erling Haaland (Credits: BBC Sport)
The Norwegian striker scored twice against Ipswich to take his tally to eight Premier League goals for the season, leading the scoring charts once again. He has now scored in six consecutive top-flight games, helping City to the top of the table with a flawless record from their opening seven matches. Saturday also brought a personal milestone: his 100th non-penalty Premier League goal, reached in fewer appearances than any player in history.
Maresca: “To Replace Erling Is Always Difficult”
Speaking ahead of the European night at the Etihad, Maresca confirmed Haaland’s availability hinges on Monday’s training session. “To replace Erling is always difficult but we have some different options,” the City boss said. “At the moment it is Erling. Why do we need to think of a different nine if Erling is there? If something happened or we need a different nine plan, we’ll see.”
Maresca added that the striker “can be available” against Athens and was “quite good” on Sunday, but the final call will come after training.
Semenyo’s Eight-Week Blow Complicates Everything
The bigger problem may be Semenyo, who picked up a left knee injury in the Ipswich win and faces up to 13 missed matches. Maresca had previously said the Ghanaian could be deployed “as a nine,” but that plan is now off the table for two months.
City allowed Divin Mubama to join Southampton on loan in the summer, leaving no natural backup striker. One option mooted by Maresca is Phil Foden, who ended his scoring drought on Saturday with his first Premier League goal since December. “Phil can be one of the solutions,” Maresca said. “He played already in the past in that position so could play again.”
Summer signing Iliman Ndiaye is another possibility — the Senegal international played as a striker during Sheffield United’s 2022-23 promotion campaign, scoring 14 goals. With City looking to bounce back from last week’s 4-2 defeat to Paris St-Germain, Maresca’s decision up front could define the night.
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Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
