Jeremy Doku played 45 minutes of Manchester City’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the FA Community Shield on Sunday. The Belgian winger was replaced by Jack Grealish at halftime in Cardiff. Worryingly, Doku was seen with ice on his calf when he emerged from the tunnel after halftime. An update has emerged on Doku’s calf injury and it does seem that he will be ruled out for a period of time. That is a big blow for Manchester City and it does accelerate City’s need to sign a winger this summer.
Jeremy Doku is reportedly set for a spell on the sidelines due to a calf injury.
Belgian publication Nieuwsblad has reported that Jeremy Doku is set to be sidelined for ‘several weeks’ due to the calf injury he sustained against Arsenal on Sunday. An exact timeline on Doku’s expected absence isn’t reported, however, Doku will miss Manchester City’s opening Premier League fixture against Bournemouth this Sunday. It is also reported that Manchester City believes that Doku’s calf injury is a by-product of Doku’s frustrating 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with Belgium. Doku suffered an ankle injury and a respiratory infection which affected his performances for Belgium at the World Cup.
Manchester City desperately need to sign another winger as Jeremy Doku’s calf injury places strain on City’s options.
Losing Jeremy Doku for one match, or an extended period of time is a blow for Manchester City. The Belgian winger is a key player for his team and he should thrive in Enzo Maresca’s system. However, City do have cover for him. It would be expected that Antoine Semenyo would start on the left wing against Bournemouth with Rayan Cherki the favourite to start on the right wing. Perhaps Rayan Ait-Nouri starts on the left wing given he played for Manchester City during Manchester City’s preseason tour of Asia. However, City are in the market for a winger. Doku’s injury does highlight how short City are for options out wide.
Outside of Doku, Semenyo, Cherki if he plays on the right, and Rayan Ait-Nouri, Manchester City’s other wing options are up in the air. Savinho is currently ‘ill’ while he awaits to complete a move to Tottenham. Ryan McAidoo, while an exciting prospect, is only 18 and perhaps not ready to start against Bournemouth after he suffered a shoulder injury in Asia. The other option is Jack Grealish. It would be a major surprise if he started against Bournemouth on Sunday.
So it is clear to see why Manchester City need to sign another winger. They simply have to. That would give Enzo Maresca another option and provide cover for injuries. Filling this need is a must for City to complete. Doku’s injury has just further highlighted this glaring issue.
Jeremy Doku is set for a spell on the sidelines due to a calf injury he sustained against Arsenal on Sunday. That is a blow for Enzo Maresca’s side ans it further illustrates why Manchester City must sign a winger this summer.