Semenyo ruled out until December as City face Brighton with Nunes and Kovacic doubts

Manchester City face Brighton in the Carabao Cup at the Etihad Stadium on October 28 with a cluttered injury list, headlined by Antoine Semenyo’s confirmation that he will not return until December. Enzo Maresca’s side are already without five first-team players rested after Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Aston Villa.

Maresca confirmed that Gianluigi Donnarumma, Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias, Elliot Anderson, and Erling Haaland have been given three days off following that loss. “They are all on holiday,” the City manager said at Tuesday’s press conference. “Three days off, energy, go, come back full of energy and then go again.”

Semenyo, who sustained a leg injury, is the most significant long-term absentee. Maresca offered some cautious relief over the severity of the problem, saying: “In the first moment we expect an even worse injury, so we were more worried, but after the scan we are less worried. It could be eight weeks. Now the most important thing is to recover it. When he is back, around December, we have a new player. It’s not muscular.”

Matheus Nunes remains a doubt with a groin problem. Maresca had suggested on Saturday that the full-back had a chance of featuring against Brighton, but alluded to the injury again during Tuesday’s briefing, leaving his availability uncertain.

Mateo Kovacic returned to the bench against Villa after picking up an unspecified issue against Ipswich Town and could be in contention to start if he comes through fit. Iliman Ndiaye, who was substituted in the second half at Villa Park, is expected to be available after Maresca confirmed the forward was only dealing with cramp. Nico O’Reilly, returning from a back problem, was an unused substitute at the weekend and is also in the frame to feature.