Manchester City extended their perfect Premier League start to seven matches with a 3-2 win over Ipswich Town on Saturday, but the victory was overshadowed by fitness worries for five players.
Phil Foden ended his goal drought on 19 minutes, converting Jeremy Doku's cross. Ipswich equalised through Daizen Maeda shortly after. Erling Haaland headed City back in front before half-time and added a second with just over 20 minutes to play. The Norwegian thought he had completed his hat-trick with a minute of normal time remaining, but VAR ruled the goal out for offside.
Ipswich then won a penalty, awarded after review, which Zian Flemming converted. Twelve added minutes made for a nervy finish, but City held on for the win.
Haaland's foot concern
Towards the end of the game, Haaland appeared to injure his foot and, shortly before the final whistle, exited the pitch in discomfort and headed straight down the tunnel. In his post-match press conference, Maresca said: "I asked him and he said he was okay so hopefully it is nothing serious. We will see. I don't have any news at the moment. Erling said he was okay."
The Norwegian is a potential doubt for the October 20 match against AEK Athens.
Semenyo and Nunes limping
Antoine Semenyo started on the bench and came on in the 77th minute for Doku. At the end of the game, the forward limped off, and Maresca was unsure about the severity. "The only one we need to wait on is Antoine," he said. His return date is unknown.
Matheus Nunes returned to the starting XI after a positive impact against Paris Saint-Germain in midweek. During the second half, he appeared to hold his groin and was forced to leave the game. He could return on October 20 against AEK Athens.
Kovacic and O'Reilly assessments
Mateo Kovacic performed well in midfield during the first half and had a hand in Haaland's first goal. At the start of the second half, he went to ground, and Maresca took no risks. Instead of going down the tunnel, Kovacic took a seat on the bench. Maresca said at full-time: "Kova said he was okay." He could also feature on October 20.
Nico O'Reilly came off on the hour mark. It did not seem like an injury at the time, but Maresca confirmed the youngster was struggling. "Nico is still his back. If you remember against Coventry. It's still the same problem," the head coach said. His return date is unknown.
