Ghanaian forward Antoine Semenyo has suffered a significant injury setback that is expected to keep him out of action for around eight weeks, dealing a major blow to Manchester City’s attacking options during a crucial period of the season.
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca confirmed the development ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League meeting with AEK Athens, revealing that the Ghana international will be sidelined for an extended period following an injury sustained in the club’s recent win against Ipswich Town.
The 26-year-old has been an important figure in City’s impressive start to the campaign, contributing two goals and three assists while establishing himself as a regular starter under Maresca. His pace, direct running and ability to create opportunities have added another dimension to City’s attacking play.
However, the injury will force Semenyo to miss several important fixtures as the Manchester-based side navigate a demanding schedule across domestic and European competitions. “The rest are more or less all OK but the only one that will be out for probably eight weeks is Antoine Semenyo,” Maresca revealed.
The news comes as a considerable setback for both City and the Ghana national team, with the forward expected to remain unavailable until around December, depending on his recovery.
Semenyo’s injury also comes at an unfortunate time for the forward, who had become a regular presence in City’s starting lineup following his contributions to their attacking output this season. His ability to operate in wide areas and drive at defenders has made him a valuable option in Maresca’s system.
City will now have to manage the next phase of their campaign without the Ghanaian, beginning with Tuesday’s Champions League encounter against AEK Athens. The club will also be monitoring his rehabilitation closely, hoping he can return in time to contribute during the busy festive period.
Maresca Offers Reassuring Update on Injury
Despite the initial concerns surrounding Semenyo’s condition, Maresca revealed that subsequent medical examinations had provided a more encouraging picture of the injury.
The City manager admitted that the club had initially feared a more serious problem but was relieved by the findings of the scan conducted on Sunday.
“In the first moment we expected an even worse injury, so we were more worried, but after yesterday’s scan we feel much better because it is not so big like we expected. It could be eight weeks. So now in the moment, the most important thing for him is to recover and also when he is back, probably around December, we will have a new player in terms of energy.”
Enzo Maresca, Manchester City manager
Maresca also clarified the nature of the problem, indicating that it was not a muscular injury. “It is a collateral [lower leg injury], something like this. It is not muscle, not a muscle problem,” he added.
Although the diagnosis offers some relief compared with the club’s initial fears, an eight-week absence would still represent a substantial period on the sidelines for a player who has quickly become an important part of City’s plans.
City Unable to Prevent Semenyo’s Injury
Maresca also addressed questions about player workload and whether the injury would influence his approach to managing the squad during a congested fixture schedule.
The Italian explained that City had already made several changes to protect players’ fitness, including ahead of their match against Ipswich Town.
However, those precautions did not prevent Semenyo from picking up the injury. “We need to pay attention [to workloads] and this is why we did some changes against Ipswich, that’s why we need to do some changes tomorrow,” he said.
Maresca noted that several players who featured against Ipswich had been managed carefully, with Semenyo among those City had intended to protect. “I think we did five or six changes from PSG to Ipswich, but again, Antoine was one of the players we preferred to give rest and then he played and got injured. Sometimes you are not able to control everything,” he added.
The manager further acknowledged that injuries can occur despite careful planning, leaving teams to adjust their strategies and personnel accordingly.
“No, because from the five problems that we had was playing from the start, Antoine was the only one [injured] so sometimes things happen and you need to just try to find solutions for the next time. You try to control everything but sometimes it is so complicated because things happen that is so difficult so we can try to do our best and think how we can keep the players fit and in a good mood, but sometimes things happen that we cannot control.”
Enzo Maresca, Manchester City manager
Ghana Also Set to Miss Key Forward
Semenyo’s absence will also affect Ghana as the Black Stars prepare for their November international assignment in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The forward is expected to miss Ghana’s double-header against Somalia, depriving the national team of one of its most influential attacking options as they seek to revive their qualification campaign.
Ghana will be eager to recover from consecutive defeats against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia during the September and October international windows. Those results increased the pressure on the team to deliver positive performances in their remaining qualifying fixtures as they seek to return to the continental showpiece after missing out on a place in the last edition in Morocco.
Semenyo withdrew from Ghana’s squad during the September-October window, and his latest injury means the Black Stars will have to plan without him once again.
For Manchester City, attention will now turn to navigating the coming weeks without a forward whose contributions have helped strengthen their attack. While the club remains hopeful that Semenyo can return around December, his recovery will determine when he is ready to resume competitive football.
Until then, Maresca must find solutions to maintain City’s attacking threat, while Ghana will hope their influential forward makes a full recovery ahead of the challenges awaiting the national team.
