With Jeremy Doku expected to be sidelined for up to three weeks with a calf problem, and after a season away from the Etihad Stadium, how would Jack Grealish fill the boots in the Manchester City line-up left by the injured Belgian?
Jeremy Doku or Jack Grealish?
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Manchester City received a worrisome update on Tuesday afternoon as news broke within Belgian media that Jeremy Doku had suffered a calf problem during the 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal that would sideline the Belgian for “several weeks.”
In light of those claims, manager Enzo Maresca has since confirmed that the exciting Belgian would be ruled out of action for the weekend's Premier League season opener for the club against Bournemouth, and potentially on the sidelines for "two, three weeks".
Yet that same defeat in South Wales could now potentially have shown an answer to the club's worries about Jeremy Doku’s impending absence, with Jack Grealish having made his return to the Sky Blues, coming on for the Belgian winger to start the second-half.
Jack Grealish's brand new Manchester City squad number for the upcoming 2026/27 campaign has been confirmed by the club's official channels.cityxtra.co.ukMan City Confirm Jack Grealish Shirt Number Under Enzo Maresca
Jack Grealish's brand new Manchester City squad number for the upcoming 2026/27 campaign has been confirmed by the club's official channels.
While the Englishman's return was not all too special in terms of his on-field showing, there should be some leeway given to one of the star's of the Treble season of 2022/23, as it was his first time back with the City squad since May 2025.
The 30-year-old spent the previous campaign on loan with David Moyes at Everton, helping play a sizeable role in the Merseyside club’s 13th-place finish in the English top-flight, recording eight goal involvements throughout his 20 appearances.
These numbers are not quite to the level of what Jeremy Doku was putting out during his first season at the Etihad Stadium, notching five goals and five assists over the course of his 30 appearances, but those are numbers that Grealish has been capable of producing in the past.
During the 30-year-old’s second season with the Blues, he recorded 12 goal involvements, becoming a crucial part of Pep Guardiola’s squad for their treble-winning season.
Some of his contributions that season were not necessarily done with the ball at his feet, as the Englishman became somewhat of a pest during counter-attack phases, ending the campaign with eight interceptions and 16 tackles won.
These numbers are very similar to what Jeremy Doku was producing off the ball last season, and with how Enzo Maresca’s teams tend to prefer to counter-attack, it will be a pivotal skill to have.
It is perhaps worth noting that Maresca could opt to use Jeremy Monga, who played on the wing during his time with Leicester City’s Under-21 team, and even their senior first-team squad despite his youth. But given what is at stake at the Etihad Stadium and what Maresca's side are setting out to do, having someone Premier League-ready with more experience might be a wiser decision.
All of this is to say that while the Belgian’s absence will be a certain blow for the Cityzens, they have a player who, on his day, can produce some real moments of quality, and has shown that he still has some things left in the tank after a season away from the Etihad Stadium.
The first chance to see how Enzo Maresca will fill the boots left by the injured Jeremy Doku will come on Sunday afternoon, when Manchester City kick-off their 2026/27 Premier League campaign against Bournemouth.