Haaland fit but Nunes, O'Reilly and Kovacic doubts for Man City's trip to Aston Villa

Erling Haaland is fit to face Aston Villa at Villa Park on October 24, manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed, but Manchester City travel to Birmingham with three further players still in doubt ahead of their Premier League fixture.

Haaland limped off against Ipswich the previous weekend with a foot problem and was rested during Tuesday’s 5-1 Champions League win over AEK Athens. Maresca put any lingering concerns to rest at his pre-match press conference, declaring the Norwegian striker “the only one who is 100 per cent available.”

Midfielder Matheus Nunes is less certain to feature. The Portuguese international felt his groin against Ipswich, and Maresca said on Thursday that Nunes was one of three players whose availability would depend on a late training assessment. Nunes was not spotted in Thursday’s session, though the club stressed that did not automatically rule him out.

Nico O’Reilly, who was also forced off against Ipswich with a back complaint, was seen training with the squad on Thursday, offering encouragement that the young midfielder could be available. Mateo Kovacic, the first player substituted in that same Ipswich win, was similarly spotted in training and is considered a realistic chance of being fit.

Josko Gvardiol came off during the AEK Athens match, prompting brief concern, but Maresca moved quickly to play down any worry, confirming the Croatian defender was fine.

The only confirmed long-term absentee remains Antoine Semenyo, who is sidelined with a leg injury until at least December.

City arrive at Villa Park in strong form, having won back-to-back matches across all competitions. The 5-1 dismantling of AEK Athens was notable for the squad rotation Maresca employed, suggesting he is managing his group carefully through a congested schedule. A win today would extend their Premier League winning run to eight consecutive matches.