Enzo Maresca has provided an optimistic update on Erling Haaland’s fitness but revealed that Antoine Semenyo will be sidelined for two months.
Haaland was hurt in a challenge with Jack Clarke during Saturday’s win over Ipswich, during which the Norwegian bagged a brace, seeming to catch the Tractor Boys substitute after kicking the ball in injury time.
Maresca stated after the match that he hoped Haaland’s issue was nothing serious and the striker will be assessed ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with AEK Athens.
"He can be available, we will see, we have a session now,” Maresca told a press conference. “We have some doubts after Sunday's game. He was quite good yesterday, better. So we will see today."
With Haaland’s involvement up in the air, Maresca could be faced with the headache of replacing a player in the starting line-up who has scored 12 from 12 this season.
"For sure, to replace Erling it is always difficult but we have some different options, we will see tomorrow,” he said. “It also depends on the game plan. There is also the chance that he can be available tomorrow. We'll see."
Asked whether Phil Foden, who broke a 35-game run without scoring against Ipswich, could be an option up top, Maresca replied: " Yeah, Phil can be one of the solutions, not the only one. As you said, he already played in the past in that position so he can play now again.
"But now, at the moment the number nine is Erling."
City have meanwhile been dealt another blow to their attacking ranks with Maresca confirming that Semenyo will be out for “eight weeks”.
The Ghanaian winger looked to be struggling with a leg problem after the final whistle against Ipswich but following his diagnosis, Maresca has taken solace from not having his worst fears realised, after initially being under the impression the injury was even more serious.
"In the first moment we expected an even worse injury, so we were more worried, but after yesterday's scan we feel much better because it is not so big like we expected,” he said.
"It could be eight weeks. So now in the moment, 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.
"It is a collateral [lower leg injury], something like this. It is not muscle, not a muscle problem."
Maresca confirmed that the rest of his squad is “more or less OK”.
On Semenyo and Haaland, Maresca added: "First of all to lose Antoine or any player for us, it is not good. Then in terms of Erling, we said that we can use Antoine as a nine but also we have different players that we are going to try and find new solutions.
"We will see, again. At the moment it is Erling, why do we need to think about a different nine when Erling is there? Then, if something happens and we need a different plan or a different nine, we will see."