Man City XI vs Liverpool: Haaland starts, Semenyo fit, Foden out

Erling Haaland is fit to start as Manchester City face Liverpool in the Premier League today.

Man City head to Anfield on Sunday for their high-profile first game since being found guilty by an independent commission of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period between 2009/10 and 2017/18. City deny any wrongdoing and have appealed against the verdict.

Haaland and Semenyo start

Enzo Maresca’s side look set to receive a hostile reception at Anfield, but they at least have star striker Haaland available after he was seen limping and asked to be substituted while away on international duty for Norway in the Nations League last weekend.

"He's good," Maresca said of Haaland at Friday’s pre-match press conference. "He went to Marbella, had two or three days off, played golf, had some recovery. He's ready for Anfield."

"He's good, the players are thinking: international teams, some days off and go again. He was good."

While there was no new update on Antoine Semenyo, he did train on Thursday and starts after the injury that forced him to withdraw from the Ghana squad for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header during the extended three-week international break.

Team news and selection decisions

With Haaland and Semenyo keeping their places from the win over Sunderland on September 20, who joins them in attack was a dilemma facing Maresca as the fit-again Jeremy Doku remains behind former Everton winger Iliman N’Diaye.

There was also a big decision to be made in midfield, with Rayan Cherki remaining in the No10 role, ahead of Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez.

Phil Foden serves the final game of his three-match suspension after being sent off in the Manchester derby last month, though Nico O’Reilly starts after pulling out of the England squad injured and not being spotted in training this week.