City v Ipswich at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon pairs the Premier League leaders with one of the division’s early surprises. Enzo Maresca goes into it weighing how to manage his busiest players during a relentless run of fixtures.
City have won their opening six matches and hold a three-point advantage at the top. Maresca made clear on Friday that keeping the squad fresh is a live consideration rather than a future plan.
Maresca considers resting Haaland and his regulars
Erling Haaland will be in the squad for City v Ipswich. His two goals against Paris Saint-Germain made him the club’s all-time record scorer in Europe. He has ten goals in nine appearances this season. Four more Norway internationals during the recent break added to his workload.
Speaking before the game, Maresca said the question applies beyond his striker. “At some point we probably need to give him rest, some days off,” he explained. “We are thinking about this not just with Erling because we have players, unfortunately or fortunately, they are playing all the games with us and all the games with the international teams.” Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernandez, Marc Guehi and Ruben Dias were all named in the same breath. How many of them start City v Ipswich is the manager's call.
The manager also praised Fernandez, who has settled quickly since his move from Chelsea. “He is a nice person. He has a big heart,” Maresca said. “Polite, professional. Sometimes the image from outside is completely different from the reality.”
Ipswich arrive with belief under O’Neil
Gary O’Neil’s newly promoted side sit tenth after three wins from their opening six league games. Those victories came against Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Fulham. Maresca is not underestimating them: “I said many times, they are dangerous. They had the entire week to prepare and can surprise us.”
City v Ipswich also stirs unhappy memories for the visitors. On their last visit in August 2024, Sammie Szmodics gave Ipswich an early lead before Haaland’s hat-trick settled a 4-1 City win. The return fixture later that season finished 6-0.
City v Ipswich kick-off and how to follow
City v Ipswich kicks off at 3pm UK time on Saturday 17 October. It is not being shown live on television in the UK because of the Saturday afternoon blackout. The club’s coverage information points supporters to live audio commentary on CITY+ from Alistair Mann and Andy Morrison, plus updates in the official app.
City then turn quickly to Europe, with AEK Athens visiting the Etihad on Tuesday evening. How Maresca balances his squad across the two games is the afternoon’s underlying question, whatever the teamsheet shows at two o’clock.
