Antoine Semenyo Sidelined for Two Months as Erling Haaland Nears Return

Semenyo sidelined with knee injury

Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo is facing an eight week spell on the sidelines after picking up a knee injury. The Ghana winger suffered the injury during his side's 3-2 Premier League victory over Ipswich Town. He had entered the match as a substitute in the 76th minute before sustaining the blow.

City manager Enzo Maresca confirmed the diagnosis following medical checks. Maresca said, "After the scan we feel much better because it's not as bad as we expected." He added, "It could be eight weeks, so now the most important thing is for him to recover."

Semenyo joined Manchester City from Bournemouth last January. He has found the net twice this season, with both goals coming last month in a fixture against Sunderland.

Haaland update and attacking depth

There is better news regarding Erling Haaland. The forward suffered a knock and was seen limping after the weekend match against Ipswich Town. However, he remains in the mix to play against AEK Athens in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Speaking about Haaland, Maresca gave an encouraging update. Maresca said, "He can be available," and noted, "We have a session now and we'll see."

Even without Semenyo, Maresca still retains several wide attacking options within his squad. The manager can call upon Iliman Ndiaye, Jérémy Doku, Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki and Allan for upcoming fixtures.

What it means for the next game

Manchester City vs AEK Athens (Champions League, Tue, 20 Oct): Manchester City win 78%, draw 13%, AEK Athens win 8%; expected goals 3.04 to 0.97. Our safest pick: Over 2.5 goals.

Aston Villa vs Manchester City (Premier League, Sat, 24 Oct): Aston Villa win 22%, draw 24%, Manchester City win 54%; expected goals 1.14 to 1.90. Our safest pick: Over 1.5 goals.