Man City is staring down the very real possibility of playing Tuesday’s Champions League match against AEK Athens without their absolute superstar striker, Erling Haaland. The Norway international took a blow to the foot during Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town, and now he’s a serious doubt for the big European night at Etihad Stadium. This is huge, especially when you consider City’s trying to bounce back after that 4-2 defeat by Paris St-Germain last week.
Haaland’s Dominance and The Looming Dilemma
Let’s be real, replacing Erling Haaland is like trying to fill a bucket with a spoon, it’s just not gonna happen easily. The guy has been on an absolute tear, scoring twice against Ipswich to bump his Premier League goal tally to eight for the season. Eight goals! That leads the top-flight scoring charts, no surprise there. He’s scored in six straight top-flight games, pushing City to the top of the table with a flawless start from their first seven games. Against Ipswich, he even hit his 100th non-penalty goal in the Premier League, doing it in fewer appearances than any other player. Manager Enzo Maresca said Haaland “can be available” and was “quite good” on Sunday, but he’ll be assessed after Monday’s training. Maresca summed it up: “To replace Erling is always difficult but we have some different options. It also depends on the gameplan.” Yeah, no kidding.
Semenyo Out, Options Dwindling Fast
As if Haaland being a doubt wasn’t enough, Antoine Semenyo has been officially ruled out for a whopping eight weeks with a left knee injury he picked up in that same Ipswich game. This just pours salt in the wound! Semenyo was a 77th-minute substitute and hobbled straight down the tunnel at full-time. Maresca initially thought it was “even worse injury,” so at least there’s that small silver lining, but eight weeks is rough. It’s a collateral knee injury, not a muscle problem, and it means the Ghana international is missing up to 13 matches, likely not back until December. He’s made 10 appearances this season, bagging two goals and three assists, and Maresca had previously said Semenyo could be used “as a nine.” That plan is totally off the table now. Losing any player is tough, but losing Semenyo right when your main man is questionable? That complicates matters massively.
So, who steps up if Haaland can’t go? Julian Alvarez and Omar Marmoush have found it tough being backups to Haaland in the past. It was even a surprise when Divin Mubama was loaned to Southampton this summer, leaving City without a natural replacement up front. Maresca mentioned midfielder Phil Foden as a possibility. Foden finally broke his barren run against Ipswich, scoring his first Premier League goal since December. Maresca thinks “Phil can be one of the solutions,” noting he’s played that position before. Summer signing Iliman Ndiaye, who scored 14 goals as a striker for Sheffield United in their 2022-23 promotion campaign, is another name floating around. And let’s not forget Rayan Cherki. Pep Guardiola, the old gaffer, once said Cherki fits the false nine role “perfectly,” and he even scored in a Carabao Cup quarter-final using that setup. Jeremy Doku started on the left last game, so he’s around too. But really, right now, it feels like they’re just throwing names at the wall.
This Tuesday’s Champions League game against AEK Athens isn’t just about three points, it’s about getting back on track after that PSG loss and showing they can still win even with their talisman possibly sidelined. Fingers crossed for Haaland’s foot, but it’s gonna be a wild ride no matter what.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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