Haaland available for Aston Villa trip as three City players await fitness decisions
Nico O'Reilly, Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes face further assessment, while Antoine Semenyo is sidelined with a knee injury.
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed Erling Haaland is available to face Aston Villa in the Premier League, but decisions on Nico O'Reilly, Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes remain pending. Maresca said the three players needed further assessment during training.
Haaland remained on the bench during City's 5-1 Champions League victory over AEK Athens after suffering a blow to his foot in the 3-2 win against Ipswich Town. He was pictured with swelling and did not join the warm-ups for the European match. Maresca subsequently confirmed his availability for Villa Park. The striker has scored 12 goals in 10 appearances across all competitions.
O'Reilly aggravated a back problem against Ipswich, while Kovacic suffered a knock and Nunes had a muscle issue. All three were substituted in that match and missed the squad against AEK Athens. Antoine Semenyo is City's only confirmed injury absentee, facing around eight weeks out after injuring his knee against Ipswich.
City lead the Premier League with 21 points after winning their opening seven matches. They have gone four visits without a victory at Villa Park, including defeats in the last three. Maresca said he expected a difficult contest against Unai Emery's team, praising their intensity without the ball.
