Manchester City UEFA Champions League Squad Update

Manchester City will launch their UEFA Champions League campaign in Porto tomorrow night without Jeremy Doku and Nico O’Reilly, stripping Enzo Maresca of two attacking options before a ball is even kicked.

The Premier League champions trained in front of the cameras earlier today, and the picture was clear. No Doku. No O’Reilly. No late surprises.

Doku is still out with the calf injury he picked up against Arsenal in the FA Community Shield three weeks ago, a setback that has stalled his start to the season. O’Reilly, who had been pushing for more minutes, suffered a back injury in the warm-up before City’s 1-0 win over Coventry City on Saturday, and has not recovered in time.

The open session at City’s training base underlined what the medical reports had already suggested. As the rest of the squad went through their final preparations, the two absentees were the story.

Any lingering hope of a rapid turnaround vanished when the travelling squad for the trip to the Estádio do Dragão was confirmed. Neither Doku nor O’Reilly made the list, ruling them out of a game that already carried extra weight given City’s demanding league-phase draw.

Porto away is rarely gentle. Maresca must now navigate it without the direct running of Doku and the versatility of O’Reilly, as City step into Europe looking a touch lighter than planned.