Manchester City have welcomed Jeremy Doku to their matchday squad to face Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Jeremy Doku is back in the Manchester City matchday squad after recovering from a calf injury.More Videos
Doku went off at half-time in Manchester City's 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in August's Community Shield and has since missed the Blues' perfect start to life under Enzo Maresca.
City have won six on the bounce across three competitions to turn a corner since they met with the Premier League champions in Cardiff, with Hugo Viana's late transfer window acquisitions quickly adapting to life at the Etihad Stadium.
The Blues qualified for the Carabao Cup fourth round after a 5-0 thrashing of Norwich City at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday night in a game that allowed Maresca to shuffle his pack ahead of Sunday's visit of Sunderland.
City academy graduates Floyd Samba and Ryan McAidoo scored thrice between them, with Allan grabbing a goal and an assist on his debut in sky blue since joining from Palmeiras for €40 million.
Maresca and co have coped well with the absence of Doku in attack since mid-August as Antoine Semenyo shifted to the left and allowed the likes of Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki and Ndiaye to impress.
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has heaped praise on Sunderland ahead of Sunday's tricky Premier League meeting with the Black Cats at the Etihad Stadium.cityxtra.co.uk"They Are Very Well Coached" - Maresca Sends Stark Sunderland Warning to Man City Squad
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has heaped praise on Sunderland ahead of Sunday's tricky Premier League meeting with the Black Cats at the Etihad Stadium.
The 24-year-old is coming off the back of his best season in a Manchester City shirt, having scored eight times and provided 14 assists in 47 appearances in all competitions under Guardiola last term.
In a press conference on Thursday night, Maresca said that Doku could 'probably' be available against the north-east outfit, albeit not ruling out a return for the forward on Sunday.
Ahead of Sunday's 14:00 UK kick-off at the Etihad Stadium, Doku has returned to the matchday squad and could be in line for his first minutes of the season in the second-half.
It is worth remembering that Maresca is unlikely to bring the attacker back fully into the frame until he is recovered and ready to get a run of games under his belt.
Doku has had his fair share of issues with muscle injuries since joining Manchester City from Rennes in 2023 - and the Belgian will be desperate to kick on and forego his fitness woes under a new manager.
City have made 10 changes to their starting XI from their midweek battering of Norwich City in the Carabao Cup, with Cherki the only player who has retained his spot in the line-up against the Canaries.
The Blues can go three points clear at the summit of the Premier League with a win over Sunderland and Regis Le Bris at the Etihad Stadium.