City Faces Depth Crisis as Semenyo's Injury Hits Hard
Ghanaian forward Antoine Semenyo will be out for the next eight weeks due to a knee injury sustained during the match against Ipswich. This setback leaves Manchester City’s coach Enzo Maresca scrambling for options to support Erling Haaland, who is also nursing a foot injury ahead of their Champions League fixture against AEK Athens on Tuesday.
Semenyo had to leave the pitch early against Ipswich, and Haaland appeared to suffer a knock as well, increasing the pressure on City after their recent defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Maresca is keen to bounce back in Europe and has acknowledged that Haaland may need some time off to recuperate. While Semenyo would have been a natural fit to step in, alternatives like Phil Foden and Iliman Ndiaye are now in the mix.
"It’s always tough to replace Erling, but we have several options to explore; we’ll see how things pan out tomorrow," Maresca noted. "Losing Antoine is unfortunate for us, but we’ll adapt. We can consider using Antoine as a striker, but we have other players ready to step up and find different solutions."
Maresca witnessed several players leaving the Ipswich game with injuries, including Haaland, Semenyo, Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes, and Nico O'Reilly, all of whom have had a busy schedule with World Cup commitments. With seven games crammed into 21 days this October, he has already made six changes to ensure player rotation is managed effectively.
"We aim to keep all our players fit and healthy, but injuries like Antoine’s are beyond our control," Maresca expressed. "We’re doing our best to manage his condition and keep him fresh for the challenges ahead."
The congested fixture list has made it tough for Maresca to find time for training as he looks to implement his tactical vision. Defender Marc Guéhi remarked, "We’re trying to maximize what we can do on the pitch before games. Most of our focus is on recovery and rest, ensuring our bodies are ready for the next match. It’s been enjoyable, honestly; just playing games is a lot of fun."
