City's Injury Woes Deepen Ahead of Leipzig Trip
Manchester City travel to RB Leipzig on Wednesday night with a depleted squad and a point to prove. The Blues are looking to bounce back from their Premier League defeat to Brighton, but Enzo Maresca's options are thinning by the day.
City have won two of their three Champions League matches this season, the sole defeat coming against back-to-back champions PSG. That record offers some comfort, yet the injury list does not.
Semenyo is out until sometime in December, Ouédraogo will not return from his shoulder injury until the end of the year, and Guiu is not expected back from a muscular issue. Esteve, who missed the weekend's clash with a knock, remains a doubt for the trip to Germany.
Those absences compound a defensive concern: City have conceded 11 goals in their last six games across all competitions. Maresca admitted his disappointment after the Brighton loss, and he will demand a response in Leipzig.
Leipzig's Mixed Form Offers Hope
RB Leipzig sit fourth in the Bundesliga and come into this one off the back of a 2-0 away win over Schalke. Their Champions League form, however, is less impressive. They were well beaten 4-1 by Real Madrid in their last European outing and have picked up just three points from their first three games.
City will need to capitalise on that inconsistency while managing their own makeshift line-up. The trip to Leipzig is a test of squad depth as much as quality.