Blues' treatment room has a familiar look about it
Pre-season was always going to have its bumps, but City's medical staff have been busier than anyone would have liked. The headline news centres on Rodri, who went under the knife on July 28 to sort out a niggling back problem that had been bothering him for a while. The operation was described as successful, though it carries a cost.
The Spain international will sit out the Community Shield meeting with Arsenal. Realistically, he's not expected back in competitive action before the backend of August, and even that comes with a caveat — his return date is officially listed as "to be confirmed."
Jack Grealish finds himself in a similar boat. The winger is still working his way back from the foot issue that kept him out of the club's pre-season tour. There's no firm date for his comeback either.
Then there's Savinho, who has become the latest name on the fitness watch after illness forced him to skip an open training session. It's a late concern, though the club will hope it's a brief one. Again, the expected return is to be confirmed.
Status: OUT / NOT YET MATCH FIT
Better news on the horizon
If the injury list makes for gloomy reading, the broader picture offers some cheer. August 12 brought a batch of returns, with Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, Elliot Anderson, Marc Guehi, Nico O'Reilly and Rayan Cherki all back on the training pitch.
The most significant of that group is Anderson. The £116m arrival from Nottingham Forest is expected to play a key role in Maresca's midfield, and there's every chance he makes his competitive City debut against Arsenal. Whether that comes at Wembley or later in the campaign remains to be seen, but his return to training at least puts him in the conversation.
For now, the focus is on getting through the next week without further additions to the sickbay. With the Community Shield looming, Maresca will want his options as open as possible. The fact that Rodri and Grealish are both racing the clock is hardly ideal preparation.