The Evening Standard reported on Saturday, October 17, 2026, that Manchester City claimed a hard-fought 3-2 Premier League victory over Ipswich Town, although possible injuries to Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo raised concerns after the match.

Both forwards reportedly left the pitch limping during the encounter at the Etihad Stadium. Their condition has left manager Enzo Maresca awaiting further medical information, while midfielder Mateo Kovacic's earlier withdrawal has added to the club's injury worries.

Before experiencing his apparent injury problem, Haaland was instrumental in City's victory, scoring twice to help the team continue their perfect start to the season under Maresca.

Despite suggestions that the Norwegian might be rested because of his heavy workload, the manager named him in the starting eleven against Ipswich. Haaland rewarded that decision with another impressive display before concerns emerged about his fitness.

The 25-year-old has been heavily involved in recent weeks. He played the entire 90 minutes in each of City's previous two matches after featuring for 80 minutes against Liverpool. He also appeared four times for Norway during the international break.

The demanding schedule has prompted questions about whether the striker has received adequate recovery time between matches.

His brace against Ipswich brought his total to 12 goals in all competitions this season, demonstrating his importance to City's attacking strength. He also came close to completing a hat-trick, but a VAR decision prevented him from adding another goal.

Despite his impressive performance, Haaland's apparent injury has become a major concern for Maresca as City prepare for a busy period of domestic and European fixtures. The club has yet to establish the precise nature or seriousness of the problem and must conduct further assessments before determining his availability.

Semenyo also appeared to suffer an injury, reportedly involving his knee, shortly after being introduced as a substitute.

The Ghanaian winger entered the match with around 15 minutes left but was said to have experienced the problem before the game ended.

Semenyo has also faced a demanding run of fixtures, completing 90 minutes in each of City's previous two matches.

If he is unavailable for upcoming games, Maresca could lose an important attacking option. Semenyo's speed, direct approach and ability to threaten opposition defences make him a valuable member of the squad, and City will hope that his condition does not require a lengthy recovery period.

The situation surrounding Kovacic has further increased the manager's concerns, as the midfielder was also forced off earlier in the match and will need to be assessed.

Nevertheless, Manchester City secured victory against an Ipswich team that refused to surrender.

Foden initially put City ahead, but Maeda responded for Ipswich to restore parity and make the contest more difficult for the home side.

Haaland then delivered two decisive goals, helping City establish control of the match and taking his overall tally for the season to 12 goals in all competitions.

Ipswich continued to battle despite falling behind, ensuring that City could not relax during the closing stages.

A late penalty scored by Flemming reduced the deficit and created a tense finish at the Etihad Stadium. However, City's players successfully defended their advantage to secure a second successive league victory.

The supplied report stated that the result maintained City's perfect start to the Premier League season under Maresca and left them six points ahead of defending champions Arsenal at the top of the standings.

Even so, the possible injuries could prove costly if the affected players are unavailable for an extended period.

Haaland's absence would be particularly damaging because of his outstanding goalscoring record and importance to City's attack. Semenyo's potential absence could weaken the team's attacking depth, while Maresca will also be monitoring Kovacic's condition closely.