FootballnewsSeptember 12, 2026

O'Reilly Fit, Doku Out for Man City Ahead of Manchester Derby

Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca has confirmed Nico O'Reilly is fully fit for Sunday's Manchester derby against Manchester United, though Jeremy Doku will remain sidelined with the calf injury he picked up during the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal.

O'Reilly missed City's win over Coventry after suffering a back issue in the warm-up and also sat out the midweek Champions League victory at Porto, but Maresca put any fitness doubts to rest on Friday. "Nico is 100% available. Jeremy, I think he needs some more days," the head coach said, with Doku having now missed City's opening three league matches. In the Belgian's continued absence, Maresca is expected to turn to Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden out wide in support of Erling Haaland, with deadline-day signing Iliman Ndiaye also in contention for involvement.

The fixture marks Maresca's first Manchester derby since replacing Pep Guardiola over the summer, arriving at Old Trafford against a Michael Carrick side who played as recently as Thursday night in the Champions League, a scheduling quirk Carrick flagged publicly this week, though Maresca dismissed suggestions of any unfair advantage. Sunday's clash carries early-season significance for both sides as they look to build momentum in the Premier League table.