Manchester City head into Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with AEK Athens facing an attacking selection problem. Erling Haaland is uncertain after taking a knock to his foot against Ipswich, while Antoine Semenyo has been ruled out for around eight weeks with a knee injury.
Haaland scored twice in City’s 3-2 win over Ipswich on Saturday, taking his Premier League tally to eight goals and extending his scoring run to six consecutive league matches. However, City will assess him after Monday training before deciding whether he can feature at the Etihad Stadium.
“He can be available, but we will see,” manager Enzo Maresca said. “We had some doubts after the game, but he was quite good yesterday and we will see how he is today.”
Why City Lack a Natural No 9
If Haaland is not passed fit, Maresca will have to reshape his attack. City allowed Divin Mubama to join Southampton on loan during the summer, leaving them without an obvious orthodox striker to deputise for the Norwegian.
Semenyo would normally have been one alternative. Maresca has previously suggested the Ghana international could operate as a number nine, but that option has disappeared after he suffered a collateral knee injury against Ipswich.
Semenyo came on as a 77th-minute substitute at the weekend but left the pitch at full-time visibly uncomfortable. Maresca said initial fears of a more serious problem eased after Sunday’s scan, though the forward is expected to be absent until around December.
“In the first moment, we expected an even worse injury, so we were more worried,” Maresca said. “After the scan, we feel much better. It could be eight weeks.”
Foden Leading the Alternatives
Phil Foden appears to be the leading candidate if City need to play without a traditional striker. Maresca confirmed that the England midfielder has experience in a false-nine role and could be used there again.
Foden ended his own goal drought against Ipswich by scoring his first Premier League goal since December, adding to his case for a central role. His movement between the lines could help City retain their usual attacking patterns even without Haaland’s physical presence.
Rayan Cherki is another possibility. Former City manager Pep Guardiola previously said the Frenchman suited the false-nine position “perfectly,” and Cherki scored when deployed there in a Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Brentford.
Summer signing Iliman Ndiaye could also be considered. He played centrally during Sheffield United’s promotion-winning campaign in 2022-23, scoring 14 goals, although he has generally been more effective from wide areas.
Maresca’s Likely Approach
Maresca stressed that Haaland remains City’s first-choice number nine and that any alternative plan would depend on the demands of the AEK game. “To replace Erling is always difficult, but we have some different options,” he said.
Jeremy Doku, who started on the left against Ipswich, is expected to continue there in Semenyo’s absence. His direct running and dribbling could become even more important if City choose a more fluid front line.
City will hope Haaland recovers in time, particularly after their 4-2 defeat by Paris St-Germain in their previous Champions League fixture. But with Semenyo sidelined and no natural backup striker available, Maresca may need to be creative if his leading scorer is not risked.
