Phil Foden is available for City again, and Enzo Maresca has a decision to make.
The England midfielder has served his three-match domestic suspension and comes back into contention for the visit of Ipswich Town. City, for their part, have no fitness concerns to report — a clean bill of health across the squad.
Foden's Return and Maresca's Joke
Foden sat out the Premier League fixtures but has been training well, according to the club. He was not used in Wednesday's Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain, a 4-2 defeat that exposed a few gaps at the back.
Maresca, speaking to the official Manchester City website, said he had not yet settled on whether Foden would start against Ipswich. He then joked that the midfielder would find the net on Saturday — a line that will raise a smile among supporters who have missed seeing him in the league.
Bouaddi Makes His Case
Ayyoub Bouaddi has given Maresca something else to think about. The 18-year-old came on at half-time for Rayan Cherki against PSG and turned in a second-half performance that stood out on a difficult night.
Maresca called him a “fantastic player” afterwards and highlighted his knack for lifting the level of those around him. That sort of endorsement tends to mean more minutes are coming.
Haaland's Workload
Erling Haaland will be in the squad to face Ipswich, but Maresca acknowledged on Friday that the striker will need a breather at some point. Haaland has had a relentless start to the campaign for club and country, and his two goals against PSG took him to 10 in nine appearances this season.
Resting him is easier said than done when the goals are flowing like that.
Defensive Options
Matheus Nunes could slot in at right-back after he came on for Rúben Dias at the interval in midweek. Maresca has already flagged Dias and Marc Guéhi as players whose minutes will need watching during this congested stretch of the calendar.
With Ipswich visiting and a busy run ahead, the City manager has choices to make — and for once, plenty of them.