Semenyo Out for Eight Weeks as Man City Lack Haaland Cover

Antoine Semenyo is expected to miss eight weeks because of a knee injury, limiting Enzo Maresca’s options behind Erling Haaland. The striker is also uncertain for Manchester City’s home Champions League match against AEK Athens on Tuesday.

Semenyo was forced off during Saturday’s match against Ipswich, while Haaland appeared to hurt his foot at the final whistle. City are aiming to revive their European campaign following last Wednesday’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Maresca plans to rotate his squad and has already acknowledged that Haaland will eventually need a break. Semenyo would have been the natural deputy, although Phil Foden and Iliman Ndiaye may now be considered.

Maresca admitted that finding a replacement for Haaland is never straightforward, but said the team has several possibilities to assess. He added that losing Semenyo is a setback and, although the forward could have operated as a number nine, City must now explore alternative solutions.

Several players were struggling physically after the victory over Ipswich, including Haaland, Semenyo, Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly, all of whom participated in the World Cup. Maresca made six alterations to his lineup, highlighting the importance of squad rotation during a demanding run of seven matches in 21 October days. Many City players had also been away on international duty earlier in the month.

Maresca said the coaching staff does everything possible to manage the squad carefully and keep each player healthy. However, he acknowledged that certain setbacks, such as Semenyo’s injury, cannot always be prevented despite efforts to protect players and maintain their fitness.

The crowded fixture list has left Maresca with limited time on the training ground as he works to establish his tactical approach. Defender Marc Guéhi explained that the squad uses the available sessions to review key tactical details before matches. He said recovery and sleep are especially important for staying ready, adding that the players have enjoyed competing regularly even though there has been little opportunity to train.