Manchester City travel to Aston Villa on Saturday aiming for an eighth consecutive Premier League victory, with manager Enzo Maresca focusing solely on the three points at Villa Park.
The Blues recovered from their first defeat of the season at home to Paris Saint-Germain last week by beating Ipswich and AEK Athens. However, the squad is dealing with several injury concerns, and the club continues to face speculation following the guilty verdict in the 115 case.
Injury update and team news
Antoine Semenyo has been ruled out for eight weeks, and other players are also carrying knocks. Responding to a reader's question about Matheus Nunes, chief Manchester City writer Simon Bajkowski noted that Nunes appeared to be flexing his right leg as he walked off against Ipswich, potentially indicating an ankle or foot issue. He had earlier taken a big kick to his ankle at the start of the season, so it could be a recurrence.
Maresca has made clear that Nunes's injury is not significant enough to require a lengthy lay-off. Unlike Semenyo, who was singled out among the injured players, Nunes is closer to Erling Haaland's situation: even if he misses the Villa game, he should not be far off a return.
Rico Lewis's role and Ait-Nouri's future
Another reader asked about Rayan Ait-Nouri, who has struggled for minutes and did not start against AEK. Maresca previously stated he does not consider Ait-Nouri a full-back, limiting his opportunities. Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki are ahead of him in the queue for minutes that the injured Semenyo would have taken, despite neither being a winger.
It is hard to see Ait-Nouri staying beyond January or the summer, especially after a loan to Old Trafford was floated in September. However, Nunes was in a similar position 18 months into his City career and roared back to become a valuable squad member.
On Rico Lewis, there is a feeling he could move into midfield once Bernardo Silva leaves, given his hard-to-pigeonhole talent. He showed matchwinning ability against AEK, but questions remain about consistency against better opposition and finding a role that does not expose his defensive shortcomings. Lewis may stay to prove himself, though he said in summer that he needs regular playing time.
Confidence in the 115-case appeal
City remain publicly bullish about their appeal, insisting they have "irrefutable evidence" that the independent commission's three-man panel did not properly acknowledge. The evidence was presented but not accepted, with the Premier League's argument believed instead.
An overturn would not be simple because the case is not being retried, so the odds are against them. Still, City believe they have the evidence to back their position, and many at the club who have not seen the confidential material base their confidence on how close they are to executives like Khaldoon Al Mubarak and Ferran Soriano, who are not bluffing.
