Manchester City injury update with Haaland fit for Brighton clash

Manchester City have a near-full squad for the Brighton match, with Erling Haaland available and only Antoine Semenyo missing through injury.

Manchester City have a near-full squad available for Saturday's Premier League clash with Brighton at the Etihad Stadium. Only forward Antoine Semenyo is unavailable, missing out with a knee injury.

Manager Enzo Maresca confirmed the situation ahead of the match. "They are all available, [apart from] Antoine Semenyo," Maresca said. This means key figures rested for the midweek Carabao Cup tie are set to return to the starting lineup.

Erling Haaland, Josko Gvardiol, Elliot Anderson, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Ruben Dias are all expected to start after being left out of the cup squad. Jeremy Doku, who was also rested, is in contention. The returns are a significant boost for the league leaders, who sit top of the standings with 21 points from eight games. City's recent form has been strong, with the team averaging 2.63 goals per game this season. Their next fixture after Brighton is a Champions League group stage match away to Red Star Belgrade.

Team selection

Maresca has several options for his lineup against a Brighton side sitting third. In defence, Abdukodir Khusanov is set to partner the returning Ruben Dias at centre-back. Matheus Nunes, who also returns, is likely to feature at right full-back.

The availability of Haaland is particularly key. The Norwegian striker is the club's top scorer this season with nine goals in eight appearances. His presence will be vital as City look to extend their lead at the summit. Haaland's goal minutes are a major asset, with his nine strikes coming at an average of one every 80 minutes of play.

Recent meetings

The two sides met just days ago in a dramatic Carabao Cup fourth-round tie. That match finished 2-2 after normal time, with Manchester City eventually progressing 4-3 in a penalty shootout. Mateo Kovačić and Vitor de Oliveira Nunes dos Reis scored for City in that encounter.

That cup result followed a 2-1 league defeat to Aston Villa, a setback City will be eager to move on from. Their next challenge is immediate, facing the same Brighton opponent in a quick turnaround at the Etihad. The full fixtures schedule shows a busy period ahead for Maresca's side.

With a full-strength squad nearly at his disposal, the manager has few selection headaches. The focus now shifts to converting their strong league position into another three points against a direct rival. The match kicks off on Saturday as Manchester City aim to maintain their perfect home league record this season.