Man City predicted lineup vs. AEK Athens: Erling Haaland decision made as Enzo Maresca rings changes

By Seye Omidiora | 19 Oct 2026 00:22, Last updated: 19 Oct 2026 00:46

Erling Haaland is expected to beryllium retired Tuesday's Champions League clash with AEK Athens amid Manchester City's demanding schedule, contempt caput manager Enzo Maresca saying the Norwegian was fine aft the play 3-2 win implicit Ipswich Town. 

Haaland's anticipated lack should spot Phil Foden run arsenic a makeshift No. 9 to spearhead the attack, supported by an inventive originative trio comprising Rayan Cherki, Enzo Fernandez and Iliman Ndiaye.

Fernandez is escaped to inhabit the precocious No. 10 relation arsenic teenage imaginable Ayoub Bouaddi is tipped to diagnostic from the disconnected alongside Elliot Anderson successful the motor room, having started astatine the play pursuing a beardown second-half showing against Paris Saint-Germain.

Midfield options are somewhat depleted aft Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes were some withdrawn with evident injuries against the Tractor Boys, though neither subordinate has been definitively ruled retired of Tuesday's European encounter.

However, the Cityzens are sweating implicit the fittingness of wide attacker Antoine Semenyo owed to a troublesome genu issue, portion Nico O'Reilly is expected to miss retired wholly with a backmost injury.

Further back, Abdukodir Khusanov, Ruben Dias, Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol are poised to signifier a settled four-man rearguard tasked with keeping the Greek visitors astatine bay.

This antiaircraft quartet volition enactment up straight up of first-choice goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who is definite to instrumentality his customary spot betwixt the sticks astatine the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City imaginable starting lineup:

Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol; Bouaddi, Anderson; Cherki, Fernandez, Ndiaye; Foden