Manchester City face the prospect of being without Erling Haaland for Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with AEK Athens after the prolific Norway striker suffered a foot problem during Saturday’s dramatic Premier League victory over Ipswich Town.
Haaland scored twice during City’s 3-2 win, taking his Premier League tally to eight goals for the campaign and restoring himself to the top of the division’s scoring charts after another impressive start to the season.
The 26-year-old has been central to City’s perfect beginning domestically, finding the net in six consecutive league matches and helping Maresca’s side establish themselves at the summit after winning each of their opening seven Premier League fixtures.
However, Haaland’s latest injury concern arrives at an inconvenient moment, with City attempting to recover from a disappointing European result. They suffered a 4-2 defeat against Paris St-Germain last week and now need a positive response.
Maresca admitted replacing Haaland would be extremely difficult but insisted City have several possible solutions should their leading striker fail to recover in time. The manager will assess the situation following training before making his final decision.
“To replace Erling is always difficult but we have some different options,” Maresca said. “It also depends on the gameplan.” He added that City would continue planning around Haaland unless circumstances forced them to change their approach.
Maresca said Haaland “can be available” for the Champions League fixture, although the striker was notably absent from the portion of Monday’s training session that was open to the media, increasing uncertainty surrounding his involvement against AEK Athens.
Haaland’s potential absence would be particularly significant because City no longer have an obvious natural replacement. Divin Mubama was permitted to leave on loan for Championship club Southampton during the summer, leaving the squad without a conventional alternative.
The situation has become more complicated because Antoine Semenyo, another player capable of operating centrally, has been ruled out for approximately eight weeks after sustaining a left knee injury during Saturday’s victory against Ipswich Town.
Semenyo had entered the game as a substitute in the 77th minute but finished the match with a worrying problem. He immediately headed down the tunnel at full-time, initially leaving City fearing that the injury could prove significantly more serious.
Subsequent medical assessments provided some relief, although Semenyo remains expected to miss a substantial period. The Ghana international could be unavailable until around December, potentially ruling him out of as many as 13 matches.
“To lose Antoine or any player is not good,” Maresca said. “In the first moment we expected an even worse injury, so we were more worried, but after Sunday’s scan we feel much better.”
Semenyo has made 10 appearances across all competitions this season, contributing two goals and three assists. His versatility had provided City with another attacking option, but his absence now removes an important solution precisely when Haaland’s fitness is uncertain.
Maresca has previously suggested Semenyo could operate “as a nine”, making his injury particularly problematic. With that possibility unavailable, City may have to consider players who are more naturally suited to wide positions or midfield roles.
Phil Foden could become one of the most obvious alternatives. The England international has experience playing centrally and ended his recent scoring drought against Ipswich, scoring 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.” However, the manager remains reluctant to plan for Haaland’s absence until his fitness situation becomes clearer.
Another possibility could involve Iliman Ndiaye, who has previous experience playing as a striker. The Senegal international was frequently used in that position during Sheffield United’s promotion-winning campaign in 2022-23.
Ndiaye scored 14 goals during that promotion season and demonstrated his ability to operate as a central attacker. His movement and versatility could provide City with a different approach if Maresca decides not to use Foden as a makeshift striker.
Rayan Cherki is another player who could potentially offer an alternative. The Frenchman has previously been identified as someone capable of performing effectively in a false-nine role, providing City with a way to maintain attacking creativity without using a traditional striker.
Former manager Pep Guardiola previously described Cherki as fitting the false-nine role “perfectly”. The Frenchman subsequently scored from that position during City’s 2-0 Carabao Cup quarter-final victory over Brentford.
Despite those alternatives, Maresca’s comments indicate that Haaland remains firmly at the centre of City’s preparations. The manager’s preference is clearly to retain the Norway international as his number nine if the striker is medically cleared.
That approach is understandable given Haaland’s extraordinary recent form. Against Ipswich, he scored his 100th non-penalty Premier League goal, reaching the landmark in fewer appearances than any other player in the competition’s history.
His record makes replacing him an enormous challenge. Haaland combines physical strength, pace, positioning and finishing ability, while his presence also occupies defenders and creates additional space for teammates operating around him.
City’s attacking structure has consequently been built around the Norwegian striker, meaning his absence would not simply require replacing his goals. Maresca would also need to alter the team’s movement, pressing patterns and attacking combinations to compensate.
Jeremy Doku is expected to continue on the left flank following Semenyo’s injury. The Belgian winger started there against Ipswich and could become increasingly important as City manage their reduced attacking options.
The immediate priority, however, remains Haaland’s fitness. City will hope the foot problem is sufficiently minor to allow him to feature against AEK Athens, particularly with the club seeking to respond quickly after their disappointing European defeat.
For Maresca, the decision will ultimately depend on Haaland’s condition after training. If the striker is available, City can retain their familiar attacking structure. If he is ruled out, the manager faces a complicated tactical decision.
With Semenyo unavailable and Mubama away on loan, City’s squad depth will be tested in an area that had appeared well covered only weeks earlier. Foden, Ndiaye and Cherki could all provide different solutions.
Tuesday’s Champions League fixture could therefore become an important examination of City’s attacking flexibility. Haaland’s potential absence would remove their most prolific goalscorer, while Semenyo’s injury has already reduced the number of natural alternatives.
City will enter the match knowing they need to respond after conceding four goals against Paris St-Germain. A victory over AEK Athens would provide momentum in Europe, but achieving it could depend heavily on whether Haaland passes his fitness test.
For now, the situation remains uncertain. Maresca has made clear that Haaland remains his first-choice number nine, but City must prepare for the possibility that their leading scorer cannot play. The final decision is expected after further assessment.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members