Forty-five minutes at Wembley, then three weeks out
Jeremy Doku walked off at half-time of the Community Shield against Arsenal. City said at the time it was a planned change. The scan told a different story.
The Belgium winger will be out for two to three weeks with a calf problem, according to the Manchester Evening News. Enzo Maresca has stuck to his version of events, insisting Doku was always coming off after 45 minutes. The calf simply removed any doubt.
The diagnosis landed this week. Doku misses the league opener against Bournemouth, and the trips to Crystal Palace and Coventry are also in question.
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Maresca without his dribbler
The timing could hardly be worse. Maresca replaced Pep Guardiola this summer and is heading into his first season in charge of the Citizens. Right away, he loses the most direct player in his attacking group, the one who can tear apart a low block on his own.
Doku is not easy to replace. His ability to beat a man with one or two touches changes the way City attack packed defences. Against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Coventry, that is exactly what they are likely to face.
City will have to improvise down the flank. Rayan Cherki is one of the options available to fill that role while the Belgian is out.
Three weeks that could sting
Two to three weeks is three Premier League matches at the start of the season. Points dropped in August count just as much as those in April, and City begin this campaign without the safety net of Guardiola’s long run of continuity.
Doku is pencilled in for a September return. Bournemouth, Palace and Coventry will have come and gone by then.
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