Erling Haaland is usually striking fear into opponents but it was the turn of Manchester City’s supporters to experience what that feels like at around 5pm on Saturday.
With seconds to play of their tense 3-2 win over Ipswich Town, Haaland set off in an attempt to wrap the game up – and seal his hat-trick – when an innocuous knock left him barely able to walk during an inordinate amount of stoppage time.
Haaland spent the remainder of the afternoon staggering about, at one point down on his haunches, and headed straight down the Etihad tunnel at full time instead of his customary lap of appreciation, which the Norwegian embarks on win, lose or draw.
Enzo Maresca moved to calm any alarm surrounding the striker’s fitness in the immediate aftermath – and there was plenty of that around given Haaland’s 12 City goals so far this season have come at a rate of one every 71 minutes. No team could do without him for any lengthy period of time.
The City boss suggested that Haaland will be assessed ahead of their Champions League tie at home to AEK Athens on Tuesday – a fixture that could have offered an opportunity to rest the 26-year-old anyway.
Despite a summer at the World Cup and general lack of rest, Maresca has started him in every match outside of the Carabao Cup.
Erling Haaland is usually striking fear into opponents but it was the turn of Manchester City’s supporters to experience what that feels like at around 5pm on Saturday
Club chiefs had discussed re-signing Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid in the summer but a move did not materialise
So the idea of how City cope without Haaland had been percolating before he pulled up on Saturday. Aware of a lack of genuine No9s, club chiefs had discussed re-signing Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid in the summer but a move did not materialise.
And even though Maresca clearly doesn’t view Haaland’s kick on the ankle as serious, what might happen without him is a question not far from the minds of fans. ‘To replace Erling is always difficult,’ Maresca said. The Italian isn’t wrong, although he always seems to have a trick up his sleeve.
Plan B: The ideal replica
Antoine Semenyo would be the favourite to act as the lynchpin of City’s attack in the absence of Haaland. With 13 goals in 37 games since joining from Bournemouth, mostly off the right wing, the Ghana international is the ideal replacement.
His physicality and willing running mean he could take over without City compromising Maresca’s style, and the onus would remain on the more attacking players manipulating space in behind for the 26-year-old to roam into.
But Haaland was not the only front-line forward to suffer an injury scare in the final moments of the weekend win, with Semenyo expected to miss the next two months with a knee issue. Semenyo’s problem initially appeared so worrying that City suspected 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.’
And so City now already need a Plan C.
Antoine Semenyo would have been the favourite to act as the lynchpin of City’s attack in the absence of Haaland – but now he will miss two months with a knee injury
Plan C: The false nines
Maresca talks about different solutions, with two options as false nines at his disposal that would have to alter City’s style if called upon. Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki are a couple of possible replacements that could see the tactical outlook seem more akin to a Pep Guardiola team.
Foden has a back catalogue of moments in that position across 2021 and 2022, notably when City beat Liverpool at Anfield and a thrashing of Club Bruges. The academy graduate was brought up on the Guardiola idea of attacking and knits play together in a way that few others can manage, drifting into abnormal pockets and dictating their game.
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.
