Manchester City have two fresh injury concerns to monitor as Enzo Maresca prepares his squad for a crucial Premier League meeting with Liverpool. Left-back Nico O’Reilly and forward Antoine Semenyo both nursing knocks picked up away from the club.
O’Reilly withdrawn from England squad
O’Reilly, 21, had impressed through the first half of England’s recent international window, playing the full 90 minutes in the clash with Spain. But he was subsequently omitted from the matchday squad for the Nations League fixture against Czechia, with his status now a cause for concern at the Etihad.
England manager Thomas Tuchel had initially played down the issue, according to Man City News, who reported that the problem was described as “minor.”
That assessment has since shifted, however, with confirmation emerging that O’Reilly has already returned to Manchester to begin treatment with the club’s medical staff, rather than remaining with the international set-up.
The young defender will now miss England’s remaining matches in the window, against Croatia and in the return fixture with Czechia, as he focuses on his recovery.
Meanwhile, no firm timeline has yet been given for his comeback, leaving Maresca with a decision to make over his options at full-back in the coming weeks.
Semenyo’s ankle trouble explained
The second concern surrounds Semenyo, who did not travel for international duty with Ghana this month because of an ankle problem.
The 26-year-old’s absence initially raised eyebrows, given he had shown no outward signs of discomfort in his previous Premier League outing — a brace and an assist in a 5-3 win over Sunderland, in which he played the full 90-plus minutes.
Clarity on the situation came from Ghana Football Association president Kurt Okraku, who explained that Semenyo’s leg had swollen up and that the forward himself was central to the call to stay behind in England rather than link up with the national team.
According to the report, Okraku said: “Antoine and the coach spoke. He told the coach, ‘If you need me, I will come down for the medical team to re-examine me. But the truth is that my leg is swollen, and we need to treat it’.
“As a leader, if you want to know your players, and in this particular case, we know the players and how honest they are when it comes to situations like this, you’d have to ask yourself whether you’d allow Antoine to continue with his recovery and be ready for Man City and for Ghana.”
It is a measured and candid account from Ghana’s football chief, and one that will offer City supporters some reassurance that the decision was made collaboratively and with the player’s long-term fitness in mind, rather than as a response to a more serious setback.
Race against time before Liverpool
Semenyo is now being considered a doubt for City’s next fixture, a high-profile meeting with Liverpool.
With roughly ten days still to play with before that match, there remains a reasonable window for the Ghana international to work his way back to full sharpness, though nothing is being taken for granted at this stage.
Maresca, who took over at the Etihad this year following Pep Guardiola’s departure after a decade in charge, is expected to provide a further update on both players’ conditions in the coming days.
The Italian head coach has already had to contend with a congested early fixture list and a reshaped squad this season, and further absences in key positions would be an unwelcome complication as City look to keep pace in the title race.
Neither issue appears to be the kind of long-term setback that would sideline either player for an extended run of matches.
