Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has reaffirmed that Erling Haaland remains his first-choice striker, despite the forward being a doubt for Tuesday's Champions League match against AEK Athens. The sight of Haaland limping off the pitch has raised concerns among fans, with no obvious like-for-like replacement available.
Last season's backup Omar Marmoush is now on loan at Tottenham, while Antoine Semenyo, the most natural option to step in, is injured for eight weeks. City feared Semenyo's injury could have been even worse, but the forward still faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Maresca's Stance on Alternatives
During Monday's press conference, Maresca was asked repeatedly about potential replacements, with Phil Foden, Iliman Ndiaye and Rayan Cherki all mentioned. The manager has previously named all of them as options, and he used teenager Floyd Samba in the position during last month's Carabao Cup tie against Norwich.
Despite the speculation, Maresca kept returning to the same message, insisting Haaland remains the team's number nine for now. "At the moment it's Erling so why do we need to think of a different nine? If something happen or we need a different nine, we'll see," he said.
Foden as a Possible Solution
When asked specifically about Foden, Maresca acknowledged the midfielder could be a solution. "For sure Phil can be one of the solutions - he played already in the past - but at the moment the No.9 is Erling," he added.
As much as Haaland may be advised to sit out the midweek Champions League game, that absence would not be seen as significant enough for Maresca to discuss wider attacking options in detail.
