Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca says Antoine Semenyo’s expected eight-week absence with a knee injury is a significant setback for the club.
The Ghana international suffered the problem during City’s 3-2 Premier League win over Ipswich Town on Saturday, after coming on as a late substitute. Semenyo replaced Jeremy Doku in the 77th minute but is now facing an extended spell on the sidelines.
The 26-year-old had made an encouraging start to the 2026/27 season, contributing two goals and three assists in nine appearances across all competitions. His injury comes as City prepare for their UEFA Champions League match against AEK Athens and continue their domestic campaign.
“First of all, to lose Antoine or any player for us is not good,” Maresca said.
Semenyo’s ability to play in several attacking positions had also provided City with a possible alternative to Erling Haaland at centre-forward. That option could have allowed the Norway striker to be rested during a demanding schedule of Premier League and European fixtures.
Maresca said the club would now examine its other attacking options, although he did not identify a direct replacement for Semenyo.
“In terms of Erling, we said we can use Antoine as a nine but we have different players that we are going to try to find a new solution. We will see.
“At the moment it’s Erling. Why do we need to think about a different nine when Erling is there? If something happens and we need a different plan or different nine, we will see.”
The manager’s comments indicate that Haaland remains City’s preferred central striker. The club will consider alternative plans only if circumstances require them, rather than immediately committing to another player in that position.
Semenyo’s early contribution of five goal involvements in nine appearances had given City another option in attack and helped them manage the demands of a busy schedule. His versatility was particularly valuable as the team balanced Premier League duties with European competition.
His absence therefore leaves Maresca with a fresh selection issue ahead of the meeting with AEK Athens. City will need to decide how best to provide attacking cover and manage Haaland’s workload while Semenyo completes his anticipated eight-week recovery.
For now, Haaland is expected to remain the focal point of the Manchester City attack, with the coaching staff assessing which members of the squad can fill the gap left by the injured Ghanaian forward.
