Grealish Gets the Nod as Doku Sits Out the Opener

Jeremy Doku's calf problem has opened a door for Jack Grealish. The Belgian winger picked up the injury during the 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, a result that will have stung, and Enzo Maresca has confirmed he will miss Sunday's Premier League opener against Bournemouth at the Etihad. The manager suggested the setback could keep Doku out for "two, three weeks".

That leaves a familiar face to fill the void. Grealish came on for Doku at half-time in that Community Shield loss, his first appearance in a City shirt since May 2025. The previous campaign was spent on loan at Everton under David Moyes, where he played a sizeable part in their 13th-place finish, recording eight goal involvements in 20 appearances.

It is a decent return, though it does not quite match the numbers from his second season at City, when he racked up 12 goal involvements. That was the campaign that ended with the treble, and the stats from that run included eight interceptions and 16 tackles won — proof, if any were needed, that his value was never solely about goals and assists.

Doku, for his part, managed five goals and five assists in 30 appearances during his first season at the Etihad. The numbers are not wildly different, but the styles could hardly be more contrasting. Doku is all directness and acceleration; Grealish offers control and the ability to slow a game down.

The opener against Bournemouth, then, becomes something of an audition. With Doku sidelined, Grealish has the chance to remind everyone what he offers — and to show Maresca that he can be trusted when the Belgian returns. It is not a bad position to be in, even if the circumstances are not ideal.

It is a chance, and one he will want to take. City's squad has options, but the left side is now Grealish's to claim, at least for the next few weeks.

There is also the small matter of Jeremy Monga, the former Leicester City youngster who played on the wing for their Under-21s and even the senior side. He is not yet a first-team fixture, but his presence in the conversation suggests the competition for places is only going to grow.