Manchester City welcomes AEK Athens in a UEFA Champions League match on Tuesday, Oct. 20, continuing to look great on the field even as trouble looms off it.
City polished off Ipswich Town this weekend to make it seven wins from seven Premier League matches. The Sky Blues also won its UEFA Champions League debut 2-0 over Porto, though it suffered a 4-2 reverse against reigning champion Paris Saint-Germain last week. Still, a visit from the Greek squad looks like a chance to bounce back and earn points in the hunt for the knockout rounds.
But Man City may be missing some key pieces, with questions about the fitness of forward Erling Haaland and defenders Matheus Nunes and Nico O'Reilly - plus manager Enzo Maresca looking to give some of his top players a rest after a busy start to the season.
Here is how Manchester City could line up against AEK Athens:
Manchester City predicted lineup vs. AEK Athens
- Goalkeeper: Donnarumma
- Defense: Khusanov, Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol
- Midfield: Bouaddi, Anderson
- Attacking midfield: Allan, Cherki, Doku
- Forward: Foden
This lineup still puts plenty of talent on the field while also giving a breather to key contributors like Haaland.
Maresca may have hoped to give Dias a rest at the back, but the knock suffered by Nunes means he may want to keep his center backs the same after swapping out both fullbacks.
Manchester City team news vs. AEK Athens
- Out: Antoine Semenyo
- Questionable: Erling Haaland, Mateo Kovacic, Nico O'Reilly, Matheus Nunes
- Suspended: N/A
Will Erling Haaland play vs. AEK Athens?
Manchester City's star forward was seen limping after scoring a double in the club's 3-2 win over Ipswich Town. Maresca said the forward told him he was "OK" and on Monday, Oct. 19, noted that Haaland would be available for his consideration - though the coach still may opt against taking any risk and give the Norway international a rest.
“Replacing Erling is always difficult. We have some different options and we’ll see tomorrow," Maresca said. “It depends a little bit on the gameplan and also there is a chance he can be available tomorrow.”
Manchester City vs. AEK Athens time, TV
- Date: Tuesday, Oct. 20
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Etihad Stadium (Manchester, England)
- TV/stream: Paramount+ (Watch on Paramount+), ViX (Watch on Prime Video)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Haaland play vs. AEK Athens? Manchester City projected XI, team news