Enzo Maresca has moved to reassure Manchester City supporters over the fitness of Elliot Anderson ahead of Friday’s Premier League trip to Crystal Palace, while confirming that Jeremy Doku remains sidelined and Matheus Nunes is still working his way back to full sharpness.
Speaking to reporters before the match, the City head coach addressed concerns that arose after Anderson was substituted during last week’s win over Bournemouth, putting the change down to nothing more serious than fatigue.
“Yeah, Elliot is fully fit. Last week [the substitution vs Bournemouth] was just for cramp,” Maresca said per City Xtra
Doku still out, Nunes not quite there
The bigger concern for City remains the continued absence of Doku, who has been troubled by a calf problem since limping out of the Community Shield defeat by Arsenal at half-time.
The Belgian winger has already missed the season-opener against Bournemouth and is now poised to sit out the Palace fixture too, with his return date still pointing towards a three-week recovery window that could stretch into September.
Nunes, meanwhile, is back in contention after his own fitness issue kept him out of the Community Shield, but Maresca stopped short of declaring the Portuguese midfielder fully sharp for Selhurst Park, describing him as “not still 100%” ahead of Crystal Palace.
It leaves Maresca with selection decisions to make in wide areas as he tries to build momentum following City’s opening-day victory. Doku’s absence in particular forcing a rethink of his attacking options against a Palace side that will fancy their chances of frustrating the visitors on home soil.
Grealish future left open by head coach
Maresca was also pressed on the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Jack Grealish, whose long-term future at the Etihad Stadium has been the subject of speculation for much of the summer.
Rather than closing the door on the England international, the Italian struck a diplomatic tone, stressing that any decision remains a work in progress.
“Again, Jack is here until the day that he’s here. It’s my duty to try to help him to give us the best and then we’ll see in the next 4-5 days what happens. I speak with Jack almost every day,” Maresca said.
The comments suggest a resolution on Grealish’s situation could arrive within days, though Maresca was careful not to pre-empt any outcome. His role instead is one of maximising the player’s contribution for as long as he remains part of the squad.
Grealish has found first-team opportunities harder to come by since Maresca’s arrival at the club over the summer, when the Italian was appointed as Pep Guardiola’s successor after a trophy-laden decade at the Etihad.
The 30-year-old winger, who has been handed City’s number 18 shirt for the new campaign, has been strongly linked with a move away before the transfer window closes, though no deal has yet materialised.
For now, Maresca’s immediate focus is on navigating a demanding opening block of fixtures without one of his first-choice wide players.
City go into the Palace match looking to build on their Premier League opener, aware that Doku’s continued absence and Nunes’s lack of sharpness leave the squad slightly light on options in key areas.
