Enzo Maresca could rest Erling Haaland and other first-team regulars when Manchester City host AEK Athens in the Champions League on Tuesday evening. The fixture arrives amid one of the most demanding stretches of the season, with City competing in the Premier League, domestic cups and Europe.
Tuesday's match is City's third in the space of a week, following last Wednesday's meeting with Paris Saint-Germain and Saturday's Premier League encounter with Ipswich Town. The schedule shows little sign of easing, with Aston Villa visiting in the league on Saturday, Brighton and Hove Albion arriving in the Carabao Cup next Wednesday, and another meeting with the Seagulls three days later in the league.
Injury blow adds to workload concerns
A knee injury sustained by Antoine Semenyo at the weekend is expected to keep him sidelined for eight weeks, reducing the number of players available to share the workload. Speaking ahead of Tuesday's clash, Maresca said: "In the first moment we expected an even worse injury, so we were more worried."
"After yesterday's scan we feel much better because it's not so big like we expected. It could be eight weeks. Now in this moment the most important thing for him is his recovery. When he is back around December it will be like a new player in terms of energy."
Haaland's heavy workload this season
Haaland has played in all seven of City's Premier League matches this season, scoring eight goals, and has added four goals in two Champions League appearances. The 26-year-old also featured in all of Norway's Nations League fixtures during the late September international break, having been heavily relied upon by Pep Guardiola last season and by his country throughout the World Cup.
Maresca may decide to leave out his No. 9 for the AEK match, with the gap in quality between the two sides potentially justifying the absence of key players. Keeping Haaland fresh for Saturday's trip to Villa Park, where City look to retain top spot in the Premier League against Unai Emery's side, could be a priority.
Other starters could also be rested
Matheus Nunes, Mateo Kovacic and Nico O'Reilly were all seen hobbling off against Ipswich. While Maresca has confirmed all three should be available for selection, he may choose to deploy others in their place to keep them fresh for the weekend.
City's Champions League campaign suffered a setback last week when defending champions PSG won 4-2 at the Etihad Stadium, dropping City to 17th in the European standings. An immediate response is required against AEK, meaning Maresca must balance trusted first-team talents with squad players to secure success without overworking those most in need of rest.
