Fernandez and Nunes cleared for Coventry as Doku faces two more weeks out

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Enzo Fernandez and Matheus Nunes are available for selection against Coventry at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, 5 September, as City look to make it three Premier League wins from three.

Fernandez, who joined from Chelsea on transfer deadline day, had been a doubt after missing his former club’s last two matchday squads. The Argentina international had made only a brief substitute appearance against Fulham on the opening weekend, raising questions about his match fitness. Maresca moved to put those concerns to rest on Friday, insisting the midfielder is ready to go. “He is a winner,” the City boss said. “I can promise you in the last four or five days, four or five players from the squad were asking: ‘Is he coming or not,’ because they want him to be with us.”

Nunes is also back in contention after missing the trip to Crystal Palace with a knock. The 28-year-old had returned to the bench against Bournemouth following an earlier injury scare and played 30 minutes in that fixture. Maresca confirmed this week that the Portuguese midfielder has recovered fully.

The one notable absentee remains Jeremy Doku. The Belgium winger has not featured since being substituted at half-time in the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, when he was seen leaving the pitch with ice on his calf. Maresca confirmed on 21 August that Doku would be sidelined for a further two to three weeks, and reiterated on Friday that the winger is still unavailable. His earliest potential return is the Manchester derby on 13 September.

City head into the Coventry fixture having won their opening two Premier League matches under Maresca, with the squad further strengthened by the arrivals of Fernandez, Iliman Ndiaye, and Allan Elias before the transfer window closed. The club are widely regarded as one of the title favourites, and the significant outlay on new signings has only heightened expectations on Maresca to deliver.