City's Injury Concerns Mount Ahead Of Liverpool Test
Manchester City are facing a nervous wait over two key players after Nico O'Reilly returned from international duty injured and Antoine Semenyo remained absent from training. With a crucial fixture against Liverpool just ten days away, head coach Enzo Maresca is set to provide further updates next week.
O'Reilly, the 21-year-old left-back, sustained his injury while representing England. He had played the full 90 minutes against Spain last week but was then left out of the matchday squad for the Nations League fixture against Czechia. England boss Thomas Tuchel initially described the issue as minor, but it was confirmed on Thursday afternoon that O'Reilly has returned to Manchester for treatment. He will miss England's remaining matches against Croatia on Saturday and the return fixture versus Czechia on Tuesday night. No expected return date has been set.
Meanwhile, Antoine Semenyo did not join up with Ghana for international duty due to an ankle problem. The 26-year-old had impressed in City's 5-3 win over Sunderland, scoring twice and providing an assist, and there was no sign of a knock as he completed the full 90+ minutes. Ghana FA president Kurt Okraku later said the forward had a swollen leg, and it was decided that Semenyo would be better off staying in England to undergo treatment and focus on his recovery. He has not been pictured back in training and is now a doubt for the Liverpool game.
City's medical staff will be working overtime to get both players fit, but with the Liverpool match still ten days away, there is time for assessments to be made. Maresca is expected to shed more light on the situation next week.