Manchester City Weigh Haaland Fitness Before AEK Athens Clash

Manchester City face AEK Athens in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, October 20, with Erling Haaland's availability uncertain after a knock and Antoine Semenyo sidelined by injury. Manager Enzo Maresca must weigh his attacking options and squad rotation as City seek to strengthen their position in the European competition following a defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

According to BBC's Champions League standings, Manchester City occupy 20th place with 3 points, while AEK Athens sit 22nd with the same total. City enter the fixture after beating Ipswich Town, but their European campaign has already suffered a setback against Paris Saint-Germain.

Haaland sustained a knock during the closing stages of a recent match and was not seen in training on Monday, according to the Evening Standard. Despite the concern, Maresca indicated that the striker could still feature against the Greek side.

"He can be available," Maresca said during his pre-match press conference.

The manager said Haaland's condition had improved, although a final decision depended on the team's preparations. City also face Aston Villa away at lunchtime on Saturday, creating another consideration in managing players' workloads.

"He was quite good yesterday. Better. So we'll see today," Maresca said.

Haaland's potential absence could force City to adjust their attacking setup. The Norwegian scored twice against Ipswich Town, while Semenyo's injury leaves the squad with fewer established options for the forward positions.

"Replacing Erling is always difficult. We have some different options and we'll see tomorrow," Maresca said.

One possible alternative is Phil Foden, who scored the opening goal against Ipswich and could operate as a central forward. The club could also consider young midfielder Floyd Samba, who scored twice as a center-forward during his Manchester City debut against Norwich City in the Carabao Cup earlier in the season.

"It depends a little bit on the gameplan and also there is a chance he can be available tomorrow," Maresca said.

Predicted lineups published by the Evening Standard and Sports Illustrated point to potential changes across the team. Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez are candidates to feature in central midfield, while Abdukodir Khusanov, Rico Lewis and Rayan Ait-Nouri could receive opportunities as Maresca manages the squad.

Sports Illustrated also identified Ayyoub Bouaddi and Allan as possible selections, with Rayan Cherki and Jérémy Doku among the attacking options. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma could retain his place, although Gerónimo Rulli was also considered as an alternative.

City made six changes for their weekend match against Ipswich Town, according to Sports Illustrated, and further rotation was expected for the European fixture. AEK Athens, meanwhile, are competing in the Champions League for the first time since the 2006-07 season, adding significance to their return to the competition.