Manchester City are expected to rotate against AEK Athens on Tuesday, with Erling Haaland likely to be rested and Antoine Semenyo out for around eight weeks.
City lost 4-2 at home to Paris Saint-Germain last Wednesday, ending a run of eight wins from eight, and beat Ipswich 3-2 on Saturday to stay top of the Premier League. They are level with AEK on three points in the league phase.
AEK lost 3-1 to Shakhtar Donetsk last week and have never won an away match in the Champions League proper. This is the first meeting between the clubs in the competition.
Manchester City team news
Semenyo will miss the match with a knee injury and is expected to be out for around eight weeks, with Maresca saying the scan was better than first feared and that he expects him back around December. Haaland took a knock against Ipswich, but Maresca said he can be available and that City would assess him after training. Nico O’Reilly (back), Mateo Kovacic (knock) and Matheus Nunes (muscle) were withdrawn against Ipswich, though Maresca said the others are “more or less okay”.
Maresca has said Haaland remains his first-choice nine and that City have other options if a different plan is needed, with Phil Foden expected to lead the line if he is rested. Rayan Cherki, Enzo Fernandez and Iliman Ndiaye are expected to support Foden, with Fernandez in the number 10 role. Ayyoub Bouaddi is tipped to start alongside Elliot Anderson in midfield, having started against Ipswich after a strong second-half showing against PSG. Abdukodir Khusanov could come in at right-back with Nunes in doubt, and Gianluigi Donnarumma is certain to start in goal.
Manchester City predicted lineup
Manchester City possible starting XI: Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol; Bouaddi, Anderson; Cherki, Fernandez, Ndiaye; Foden
When will the match kick off?
The Champions League match kicks off at 20:00 BST on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.
How to watch Manchester City vs AEK Athens?
The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate in the UK.
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