Antoine Semenyo will miss the next two months with a knee injury, leaving Enzo Maresca without one of his most reliable starters for a punishing run of 13 games in eight weeks.
The 26-year-old picked up the problem soon after replacing Jérémy Doku with 13 minutes remaining of Saturday's win over Ipswich Town. He had started all nine matches this season prior to the weekend, setting the EFL Cup aside, and his absence will be felt across a congested schedule.
A bright start interrupted
Semenyo arrived from Bournemouth in January and has made an immediate impression. Thirteen goals and six assists in 37 appearances tell only part of the story; the brace against Sunderland and the winner in the FA Cup Final against Chelsea were the headline moments of a productive first year at the club.
That form has earned him a regular place, and the timing of the injury is far from ideal. City may have won seven out of seven in the league so far, but the next eight weeks bring four Champions League ties, including a trip to Camp Nou to face Barcelona.
The fixture list is relentless despite an international break in November. Thirteen games in eight weeks leaves little room for rotation, and Maresca will now have to shuffle his attacking options.
Semenyo will also miss Ghana's double header for Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Somalia during this period.
City's depth will be tested. The wins keep coming, but the squad is about to find out how much it relies on a player who has quietly become a key part of the machine.