Man City suffer Doku injury blow before Premier League opener

Manchester City will start the Premier League season without Jeremy Doku after the Belgium winger suffered a calf injury. The 24-year-old is expected to be unavailable for around two to three weeks and will miss the opening match against Bournemouth.

Doku developed the problem during the first half of City’s 3-0 Community Shield defeat by Arsenal in Cardiff last weekend. He was replaced at half-time, with the substitution already part of the plan before the calf issue became a concern.

Enzo Maresca said on Friday that Doku is currently the only player absent from his squad. The City manager added that the winger had felt pain in his calf during the Arsenal match, but indicated that the expected lay-off should not extend beyond three weeks.

The injury is an early setback for Maresca as he begins his first campaign in charge of City. The former Chelsea manager took over from Pep Guardiola during the close-season and must now prepare for the opening fixture without one of his attacking options.

City host Bournemouth in their first Premier League game before travelling to Crystal Palace. Their early schedule then continues with a meeting against Coventry, followed by the derby away to Manchester United.

Doku’s absence therefore covers the start of a demanding run of fixtures, although the current assessment points to a short-term problem rather than a lengthy spell on the sidelines. His return will depend on how the calf responds over the next few weeks.