Manchester City have suffered an injury blow with Antoine Semenyo set to miss the next eight weeks of the season, Enzo Maresca has confirmed.
The winger picked up a knee injury late in the 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town as we extended our Premier League winning streak at the start of the season to seven games.
Maresca said that Semenyo was sent for scans on Sunday which revealed the extent of the injury.
And at his press conference ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash with AEK Athens on Tuesday night at 20:00 (UK), the boss was asked about the fitness of his squad, including Matheus Nunes, Nico O’Relly and Mateo Kovačić.
“The rest are more or less okay. The only one that will be out for probably eight weeks is Antoine,” Maresca said.
“In the first moment we expected an even worse injury so we were more worried.
“After yesterday’s scan we feel much better because it’s not so big like we expected.
“It could be eight weeks. Now in this moment the most important thing for him is his recovery. When he is back around December it will be like a new player in terms of energy.”
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Maresca had better news about Erling Haaland who took a knock after scoring twice against Ipswich on Saturday.
And the Italian said he will come into consideration for our Champions League matchweek three game against Greek opponents at the Etihad.
“He can be available,” Maresca said. “We’ll see. We have a session now and we have some doubts after Sunday’s game.
“He was quite good yesterday. Better. So we’ll see today.
“Replacing Erling is always difficult. We have some different options and we’ll see tomorrow.
“It depends a little bit on the gameplan and also there is a chance he can be available tomorrow.”
Semenyo was identified as one of the players that could play as a striker to give Haaland an opportunity to take a break.
But Maresca has other options in attack as we aim to build on a strong start to the campaign.
“First of all, to lose Antoine or any player for us is not good,” he added.
“In terms of Erling, we said we can use Antoine as a nine but we have different players that we are going to try to find a new solution. We will see.
“At the moment it’s Erling. Why do we need to think about a different nine when Erling is there? If something happens and we need a different plan or different nine, we will see.”
Be at City v AEK Athens!
We welcome the Greek champions in a 20:00 (UK) kick-off on Tuesday 20 October for our third game in this year’s League Phase.
Known for their vociferous support and enjoying their first Champions League campaign since 2018/19, the striking yellow and black colours of AEK Athens make for a spectacle everywhere they go.
And every game counts if we’re to finish in the top eight and ensure safe progression through to the Round of 16.
So make sure you’re there to support the Blues, with adult prices starting from £35 and Under-18s just £20 each.
And why not make a special night of it?
We have a wide range of hospitality packages available, whether you’re looking for an exclusive bar, a dining experience or true once-in-a-lifetime magic, it’s all available at the Etihad Stadium.
Cartoon promo for Manchester City vs AEK Athens match on Tue 20 Oct 2026, 20:00 at Etihad Stadium. Features players in Manchester City kit, club logos, and 'buy tickets' text.
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