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Antoine Semenyo faces up to eight weeks out with a knee injury, putting his availability for Ghana’s upcoming Black Stars AFCON qualifiers in doubt.
Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo is expected to spend up to eight weeks on the sidelines with a knee injury, dealing a major blow to Ghana’s Black Stars ahead of their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The Ghana international sustained the injury late in Manchester City’s 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town, extending the club’s winning streak at the start of the Premier League season to seven matches.
According to Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca, Semenyo underwent scans on Sunday to determine the extent of the injury.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Manchester City’s UEFA Champions League clash with AEK Athens on Tuesday, Maresca confirmed that the winger would be unavailable for an extended period.
“The rest are more or less okay. The only one that will be out for probably eight weeks is Antoine,” Maresca said.
The manager added that the initial assessment had raised concerns about a potentially more serious injury, but the scan results offered some relief.
“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 as 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.”
Antoine Semenyo celebrating after scoring
Semenyo’s expected absence until around December could rule him out of Ghana’s upcoming AFCON qualifying fixtures, depending on the confirmed dates of the matches and his recovery progress.
The winger has become an important attacking option for the Black Stars, with his pace, direct running, and ability to create scoring opportunities making him a key figure in Ghana’s forward line.
His absence would leave Ghana’s technical team with a selection challenge as the national side prepares for its next international assignments.
Manchester City will also have to manage without the Ghanaian forward during a crucial stretch of the season as they compete across domestic and European competitions.