This is exactly the sort of problem Manchester City did not need. Erling Haaland has made City’s season look far more ruthless than it has any right to be, but now the Haaland injury story has turned a straightforward Champions League build-up into a nervous wait.
The striker is a doubt for Tuesday’s match against AEK Athens after suffering a blow to the foot in Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town. He scored twice in that game, because of course he did, but he also left with enough discomfort to warrant assessment after training on Monday. He was not present for the session open to the media, which is hardly the sort of detail City will want hanging over the eve of a European tie.
Why this matters more than a routine knock
City are trying to get back to winning ways in the competition after last week’s 4-2 defeat by Paris St-Germain, and the timing could not be much worse. Haaland has been central to their flawless start from the opening seven games of the campaign, helping them to the top of the table with eight league goals already. Remove him and the whole attacking setup looks far less terrifying.
The real issue is not just that Haaland is the first name on the teamsheet. It is that City have been left without a natural replacement in his absence. That is the part which turns a simple injury update into a genuine selection headache.
Enzo Maresca put it plainly: “To replace Erling is always difficult but we have some different options.” He also made the obvious point that if Haaland is available, there is no need to overcomplicate the matter. “At the moment it is Erling. Why do we need to think of a different nine if Erling is there? If something happened or we need a different nine plan, we'll see.”
Who steps in if he cannot go?
Maresca suggested Phil Foden can be one of the solutions and noted that he has played there before. That is useful in theory, but it also tells you plenty about where City are right now: if Haaland cannot play, they are into improvisation rather than comfort.
There was some hope elsewhere in the squad, with Antoine Semenyo also picked up a left knee injury in the win over Ipswich Town and expected to be out for eight weeks. That only adds to the sense that City’s attacking options are being stretched at the wrong time.
Haaland can be available, and maybe he will be. But until City actually see him on the pitch, this remains a proper concern rather than a box-ticking injury note. For a team trying to steady itself after the Paris St-Germain defeat, losing the one player who changes everything would be a very unwelcome way to start the week.
