Antoine Semenyo’s absence has deprived Manchester City of an important attacking option as Enzo Maresca seeks a response to three consecutive Premier League defeats. The Ghana forward remains sidelined by an injury sustained during October’s 3–2 victory at Ipswich Town, with a return anticipated around December. His ability to operate on either wing or through the middle gives City a flexibility that is harder to reproduce without him.
The issue is an injury lay-off, not a confirmed departure or an impending transfer. Maresca initially indicated that Semenyo could miss around eight weeks, although scans showed the problem was less severe than first feared. For now, the priority is rehabilitation rather than finding a permanent replacement.
Semenyo’s absence increases the responsibility on Iliman Ndiaye, Jérémy Doku, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki to support Erling Haaland. Ndiaye and Doku started alongside Cherki behind the striker against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but City lost 3–1 at the City Ground. That followed league defeats against Aston Villa and Brighton, leaving Maresca with questions about both attacking productivity and defensive organisation.
It would nevertheless be misleading to place the burden on Ndiaye alone. City still possess several players capable of creating chances from wide positions, and their recent difficulties extend beyond replacing one injured forward. Jamie Redknapp acknowledged Semenyo’s importance after the Forest defeat but argued that City’s openness was a more significant concern. “They obviously miss Semenyo, he’s a big player for them in the wide areas but they’ve still got people in wide positions who can cause problems,” he said.
The challenge for Maresca is therefore one of balance. City must find ways to support Haaland and maintain their attacking threat without leaving themselves exposed when possession changes hands. Their 3–2 Champions League victory over RB Leipzig showed that goals remain available, but the subsequent Forest defeat demonstrated that attacking quality alone will not resolve their league problems.
City are no longer preparing to face Brighton: that league fixture ended in a 1–0 defeat the previous weekend. As of publication, the immediate task is to regroup after the loss at Forest and manage Semenyo’s recovery. His eventual return would restore a valuable option, but improving City’s performances in the meantime requires a collective response rather than expecting Ndiaye—or any single replacement—to reproduce his contribution unaided.
