Semenyo’s eight-week injury absence leaves Manchester City short on cover for Haaland

Manchester City have been dealt a significant blow with the news that Antoine Semenyo will be sidelined for eight weeks due to a knee injury. The Ghana international limped off during Saturday's Premier League victory over Ipswich Town, and further assessment has confirmed the extent of the problem, leaving manager Enzo Maresca with limited options up front.

The injury comes at a particularly challenging time for City, who are also sweating on the fitness of star striker Erling Haaland. The Norwegian forward scored twice in the 3-2 win against Ipswich, taking his tally to eight league goals for the season, but hobbled off at full-time with a foot injury. He is now a doubt for Tuesday's Champions League encounter with AEK Athens at the Etihad Stadium.

City are eager to get their European campaign back on track following last week's 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Maresca has already indicated he will make changes for the match, and the potential absence of Haaland would leave the Italian with a significant dilemma in attack.

Semenyo had been viewed as the natural stand-in for Haaland, with Maresca previously stating that the former Bournemouth forward could be used as a number nine. However, that plan is no longer viable, and the Ghanaian now faces the prospect of missing up to 13 matches across all competitions.

The injury to Semenyo is one of several concerns for Maresca, who witnessed a number of his players limp away from the Ipswich victory. Haaland, Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes and Nico O'Reilly all featured in the match and were among those showing signs of discomfort, highlighting the physical toll of a congested schedule.

City have been managing a hectic run of seven games in 21 days in October, with many players also having had international commitments at the start of the month. Maresca made six changes for the Ipswich match, underscoring the need for rotation, but the injury to Semenyo has complicated his plans further.

"To replace Erling it's always difficult but we have some different options; we'll see tomorrow," Maresca said. "To lose Antoine or any player for us is not good. Then in terms of Erling, we said that we can use Antoine as a 9 but also we have different players that we are going to try and to find new solutions."

One of those solutions could be Phil Foden, who ended a barren run in front of goal on Saturday by scoring his first Premier League goal since December. Maresca has suggested that the England international could be deployed in a false nine role, a position he has played in the past.

"Phil can be one of the solutions," Maresca said. "He played already in the past in that position so could play again, but at the moment the number nine is Erling."

Another option is Iliman Ndiaye, who was often used as a striker during Sheffield United's promotion-winning campaign in 2022-23, scoring 14 goals to help the Blades return to the Premier League. The Senegal international could provide a different dynamic in attack if Haaland is ruled out.

Maresca has also mentioned Rayan Cherki as a potential candidate for the false nine role, with the Frenchman having previously impressed in that position. However, the manager remains hopeful that Haaland will be available, stating that the striker "can be available" for the AEK Athens match and will be assessed after training on Monday.

The injury to Semenyo has also raised questions about City's squad planning, particularly after Divin Mubama was allowed to join Championship side Southampton on loan in the summer. That decision left City without a natural replacement for Haaland, a situation that has now been exposed by the injuries.

Semenyo had made 10 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring two goals and providing three assists before his setback. Maresca admitted that the initial fears were even worse, but scans on Sunday provided some reassurance. "In the first moment we expected an even worse injury, so we were more worried, but after Sunday's scan we feel much better," he said.

The City manager also confirmed that the injury is a collateral issue rather than a muscle problem, and he expects Semenyo to return around December. "It could be eight weeks. The most important thing for him is to recover and also when he is back, probably around December, we will have a new player in terms of energy," Maresca added.

With Jeremy Doku expected to continue on the left flank in Semenyo's absence, City will hope that Haaland recovers in time for the European clash. The Norwegian has scored in six consecutive top-flight games and recently reached his 100th non-penalty goal in the Premier League, achieving the milestone in fewer appearances than any other player in the competition's history.