Manchester City have a striker problem and a Champions League game to play before it is solved. Erling Haaland took a blow to the foot on Saturday and is now a doubt for Tuesday night's visit of AEK Athens, while Antoine Semenyo, the one player who could have covered for him up front, is out for eight weeks.
What happened against Ipswich
It looked like a good afternoon at the time. Haaland scored twice in City's 3-2 win over Ipswich Town, which lifted his Premier League tally to eight and put him back at the top of the scoring charts. He has now scored in six consecutive league games, and one of those goals against Ipswich was his 100th non-penalty goal in the competition, reached in fewer appearances than any other player.
Then came the knock. The 26-year-old suffered a blow to the foot, and by Monday City were being asked whether he would play at all. Enzo Maresca did not sound panicked. He said Haaland "can be available" and would be assessed after Monday's training session, but that he had been "quite good" on Sunday.
Semenyo's knee changes the maths
The bigger blow is probably Semenyo. He came on in the 77th minute against Ipswich and hobbled straight down the tunnel at full-time. Maresca admitted he first feared something even worse, but a scan found a collateral knee injury rather than a muscle problem. The estimate is eight weeks, which could mean up to 13 matches, with a return around December. He has two goals and three assists from 10 appearances this season.
Maresca had previously said Semenyo could be used as a number nine, and that option has now gone. Jeremy Doku started on the left against Ipswich and should keep that role while Semenyo is out.
Who plays if Haaland cannot
This is where City's squad looks thin. Julian Alvarez and Omar Marmoush both found it hard to get minutes behind Haaland, and Divin Mubama was allowed to leave on loan to Southampton in the summer, so there is no obvious natural replacement on the bench. "To replace Erling is always difficult but we have some different options," Maresca said. "It also depends on the gameplan."
The manager has floated Phil Foden as one solution, noting he has played there before. Foden ended a long wait on Saturday by scoring his first Premier League goal since December. Iliman Ndiaye, a summer signing, is another candidate: he often played as a striker in Sheffield United's promotion season of 2022-23 and scored 14 goals. Rayan Cherki is a third, with Pep Guardiola having said last season that he fits the false nine role "perfectly". Cherki scored in a 2-0 Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Brentford when used there.
City need a better night after last week's 4-2 defeat by Paris St-Germain in the competition. If Haaland starts, none of this matters. If he does not, Maresca will have to pick a plan on the day, and the answer may tell us a lot about how he sees the next two months.
Match facts: Manchester City v AEK Athens, Champions League, Etihad Stadium, Tuesday 20 October, 20:00 BST. Haaland, 26, has eight Premier League goals this season. Semenyo is ruled out for around eight weeks with a left knee injury. City lost 4-2 at Paris St-Germain in their previous Champions League game.
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