Manchester City’s Marmoush future unclear as Doku set to miss up to three weeks

Enzo Maresca has refused to give any guarantees over Omar Marmoush’s future at Manchester City, while confirming that Jeremy Doku is expected to be sidelined for between two and three weeks.

Maresca was speaking at his pre-match news conference before Manchester City’s Premier League opener against Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The Manchester City manager said Doku complained of pain in his calf during the club’s most recent match and was replaced at half-time as a precaution.

“During the last game, Doku complained at half-time about some pain in his calf. We did not want him to play more than 45 minutes, so the decision to substitute him had already been planned,” said Maresca.

“Initial assessments suggest that he will be out for between two and three weeks, and no longer than that.”

Maresca also addressed speculation surrounding Marmoush, who has been linked with a possible move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

“I don’t know. Omar is still here and he is still with us. He is different from Savinho, so we will see what happens,” he said.

“Usually, things become complicated when a player leaves and you have to sign a replacement. We will see whether Omar stays or not, because if someone leaves, somebody else has to come in.”

The manager said there was an important distinction between Marmoush and Savinho, whose departure appears increasingly likely.

“From the first day, Savinho asked to leave, while Omar Marmoush did not ask to leave from the first day,” Maresca added.

Tottenham Hotspur are understood to have reached an agreement with Manchester City for Savinho, with the total value of the deal potentially rising to £85m.

The London club are also in advanced negotiations to sign Marmoush. Reports indicate that Tottenham have agreed personal terms with the Egypt international, although discussions between the two clubs over the transfer fee and structure of the deal are continuing.

Maresca said Manchester City had not set a specific target for the number of transfers they want to complete before the summer window closes.

“We do not have a minimum or maximum number of signings. It depends on certain factors. We know exactly what we need, and we will see what happens over the next 10 days,” he said.

“We have 10 days left, and we hope we can carry out what we are planning.”

He also rejected the idea of discussing a possible move for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, despite being asked about the Argentina international.

“Unfortunately, I always find myself having to answer in the same way: Enzo is a Chelsea player, and I will not talk about players who are not part of our squad,” said Maresca.

“I see that as disrespectful, and I do not like other managers talking about our players.”

Maresca said he was looking forward to beginning the new campaign and playing Manchester City’s first match of the season at home.

“I feel very excited to start this new chapter and this new journey. Our aim is to continue following the same path we have taken over the past 10 or 15 years, so we are very happy to finally play our first match at home.”

On Bournemouth, he added: “I also watched their pre-season game, as well as some of their matches last season. You can clearly see their identity. They are a team with an attacking style and intense pressing.”

“They were like that under Andoni Iraola, and they remain the same. It is completely clear what they do, whether they have the ball or not.”

Maresca also discussed the situations involving Rodri and Savinho, saying players who do not feature regularly often consider leaving.

“It is very clear that when a player wants to leave, it becomes complicated to convince him to stay. That happened with Rodri, and the same situation is now happening with Savinho. He expressed his desire to leave from the first day he arrived, and we are waiting to see what happens now.”

“Except for Rodri, they all have one thing in common: they have not played many matches. When players do not play, they prefer to leave. The players I mentioned, apart from Rodri, are all players who have not had many opportunities to play, for different reasons.”