Erling Haaland is usually the player who terrifies opposition defences, but at about 5pm on Saturday, Manchester City supporters were given a taste of that same anxiety.
With only seconds remaining in City’s tense 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town, Haaland sprinted forward hoping to finish the contest and complete his hat-trick. Instead, an apparently harmless knock left the striker struggling to walk as the match moved into an unusually long period of stoppage time.
Haaland spent the rest of the afternoon limping and staggering, at one stage dropping onto his haunches. When the final whistle sounded, he went straight down the Etihad tunnel rather than taking part in his usual lap of appreciation — a routine the Norwegian observes whether City win, lose or draw.
Enzo Maresca quickly sought to ease concerns over the striker’s condition, although the worry among supporters was understandable. Haaland has already scored 12 goals for City this season, averaging one every 71 minutes, and few teams could absorb his absence for an extended spell.
The City boss said Haaland would be assessed before Tuesday’s Champions League home match against AEK Athens — a fixture that might have provided an opportunity to rest the 26-year-old even if he had remained fully fit.
Despite his summer at the World Cup and the limited recovery time available, Maresca has started Haaland in every competition outside the Carabao Cup.
Erling Haaland is usually the source of fear for opponents, but Manchester City supporters felt that same anxiety when he appeared to suffer an injury scare on Saturday
Manchester City chiefs had considered bringing Julian Alvarez back from Atletico Madrid during the summer, but the proposed move did not happen
The question of how City would cope without Haaland had already been discussed before his late injury scare. Aware that the squad lacked a natural No9, club chiefs explored the possibility of re-signing Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid in the summer, though no deal was completed.
Maresca clearly does not believe Haaland’s ankle knock is serious, but the prospect of life without the prolific forward remains a concern for supporters. “To replace Erling is always difficult,” Maresca said. The Italian is right, even if he has frequently shown a willingness to find unexpected tactical answers.
Plan B: The ideal replica
Antoine Semenyo would have been the leading candidate to spearhead City’s attack if Haaland had been ruled out. Since joining from Bournemouth, the Ghana international has scored 13 goals in 37 appearances, operating mainly from the right wing, and his profile made him a natural alternative.
His strength, intensity and willingness to run would allow City to maintain Maresca’s preferred approach without a major tactical compromise. More creative attackers could continue to open space behind the defence, giving the 26-year-old room to drift into and exploit.
However, Haaland was not the only City forward to suffer an injury concern during the closing stages of the weekend victory. Semenyo is now expected to miss the next two months with a knee problem, which initially looked serious enough for the club to fear an ACL injury.
“After the scan we feel much better,” Maresca said. “It is not so big like we expected. Now the most important thing is to recover it. When he is back, probably around December, we have a new player in terms of injury. It’s not muscular. We can use Antoine as a nine but also we have different players that we are going to try to find a new solution.”
City, therefore, already need to consider a Plan C.
Antoine Semenyo would have been the leading option to lead Manchester City’s attack without Haaland, but a knee injury is now expected to sideline him for two months
Plan C: The false nines
Maresca has referred to a range of possible solutions, including two players who could operate as false nines. Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki are among the alternatives, although using either would require City to adjust their attacking structure and could produce a team more reminiscent of Pep Guardiola’s approach.
Foden has already delivered several impressive performances in that role, particularly during 2021 and 2022, including City’s win at Anfield against Liverpool and their emphatic victory over Club Bruges. The academy graduate was developed within Guardiola’s attacking philosophy and has an unusual ability to connect play, drift into unexpected spaces and control the rhythm of a match.
Cherki would have a fair amount to learn in that role, although is showing a knack for scoring goals having netted five in nine games already this term. Foden is more of a seamless fit into that system, with Cherki instead providing more of an unpredictable presence.
Either way, both of them would have very few problems dragging markers away from their zones to free up space for others – which has so often been the City way.
Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki are false nine options that could see the tactical outlook seem more akin to a Pep Guardiola team
Plan D: The pressing machine
Iliman Ndiaye is more of an outside bet, having rarely been seen in central areas throughout his time in the Premier League. Maresca does think outside the box though and so the £65million summer signing from Everton cannot be discounted.
The 26-year-old possesses the sort of speed and ingenuity in behind to become a real threat and the industry he showed out wide during the win at Old Trafford, when City were a man light, is exactly the sort of energy that can carry a press from the front.
He has experience playing in a central role, just off the striker, at Sheffield United in the Championship, too.
Plan E: The wild card
Normally a midfielder, 17-year-old Floyd Samba hasn’t really featured as a central striker in the club’s academy teams but shot to prominence there in the Carabao Cup third round win over Norwich City last month, scoring twice and showing great strength in holding up play.
Floyd Samba (right) scored twice as a striker on his senior debut last month against Norwich
‘When I was younger, like Under 10s, I was mainly a No9,’ said Samba, who switched international allegiances to Germany from England this year and has also represented France’s Under 16s.
‘But ever since then, I haven’t been really. I have an idea of it because I think last season against Real Madrid, in the Youth League, I played No9 as well. Those little opportunities to make me improve, to play more than one position.’
A plethora of options but Maresca will hope Haaland can stay injury-free and City’s medical staff stay on top of the workload. Even if it is not on Tuesday against AEK, they will need to offer him rest at some point.
