Manchester City coach Enzo Maresca is exploring his attacking options for Tuesday's Champions League game against AEK Athens, with Erling Haaland's availability still in question. Haaland has scored in six consecutive top-flight games and helped City to the top of the table with a flawless start to the campaign. Against Ipswich, he reached 100 non-penalty Premier League goals in fewer appearances than any other player. Maresca said Haaland "can be available" and will be assessed after training on Monday, though he was not present at the session open to the media.
With Haaland's cover thin, City face a real headache. Julian Alvarez and Omar Marmoush have found it hard to play as back-ups to Haaland in the past, and the summer decision to let Divin Mubama join Southampton on loan left City without a natural replacement. Maresca had previously said Antoine Semenyo could be used "as a nine," but that plan is no longer available, with the Ghanaian facing up to 13 matches out injured.
One option mentioned by Maresca is midfielder Phil Foden, who ended his barren run in front of goal by scoring his first Premier League goal since December. "Phil can be one of the solutions," said Maresca. "He played already in the past in that position so could play again, but at the moment the number nine is Erling."
Summer signing Iliman Ndiaye is another possibility. The Senegal international was often deployed as a striker during Sheffield United's promotion-winning campaign in 2022-23, scoring 14 goals. Last season, Pep Guardiola said Rayan Cherki fits the false nine role "perfectly", with the Frenchman scoring in a 2-0 Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Brentford when used there.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing