Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca has confirmed Erling Haaland is fully fit for Saturday’s Premier League trip to Aston Villa, but three more first-team players remain doubts after picking up knocks in last weekend’s win over Ipswich Town.
Haaland was left out of City’s Champions League squad in midweek as a precaution, watching from the bench as goals from a rampant Phil Foden hat-trick helped City sweep aside AEK Athens 5-1 at the Etihad Stadium.
Nico O’Reilly, Matheus Nunes and Mateo Kovačić, however, all missed the European fixture entirely after picking up fresh issues in the 3-2 victory over Ipswich at the weekend, and their involvement at Villa Park remains uncertain going into the weekend.
Haaland cleared, trio still in the balance
Speaking to reporters ahead of the trip to the Midlands, Maresca gave a mixed update on his squad’s fitness, making clear that one man, at least, is good to go.
“We have a session this afternoon. They could all be available or not. They are still doubts. Yesterday they were all improving and we will see this afternoon. Erling is the only one who is 100 per cent available and the other three we need to wait on today’s session.”
It is a timely boost for City. Haaland, who has been City’s most reliable source of goals again this season, missed out on the midweek rout purely as a precaution after picking up a knock against Ipswich.
His return to full fitness removes one significant headache from Maresca’s planning. The same cannot be said for O’Reilly, Nunes and Kovačić, whose fitness will not be confirmed until the squad reconvenes for a final training session before travelling to Villa Park, where Unai Emery’s side await on Saturday lunchtime.
Eight-week blow for Semenyo adds to the squeeze
Compounding City’s situation is the continued absence of Antoine Semenyo, who is facing around two months on the sidelined after suffering a knee injury during the Ipswich win.
The Ghana international has become an increasingly important attacking option this season, and his loss leaves Maresca with a shallower pool of options up front.
The timing is not ideal. City face a dense run of fixtures across the Premier League and Champions League in the weeks ahead, and further injuries would stretch an already-thinning squad list further.
Maresca, in his short time in the City dugout, has shown a willingness to rotate heavily to manage that load, something the Ipswich team selection hinted at before the knocks picked up in that game forced his hand further.
For now, City’s focus shifts to Villa Park, where a win would extend their unbeaten start to the Premier League season.
Villa, under Emery, have shown themselves capable of troubling the division’s leading sides at home this season, and City will want their strongest possible XI out on the pitch to avoid any slip-up.
Whether that includes O’Reilly, Nunes and Kovačić will only become clear in the hours before kick-off.
