Doku and O'Reilly Miss Training Ahead of Porto Clash

Manchester City’s preparations for their first Champions League test of the season have taken an early hit, with Jeremy Doku and Nico O'Reilly both missing first-team training ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Porto.

The pair were absent as City went through their final session before flying to Portugal, a notable omission as Enzo Maresca fine-tunes a side that has started the domestic campaign flawlessly.

Doubts over availability

Their non-involvement immediately casts doubt on whether either will make the squad for the European opener. City have not confirmed the extent of any issues, but with only a short turnaround before kick-off in Porto, the clock is already ticking.

Doku has yet to feature in the Premier League this season, his campaign still waiting to ignite while others have hit stride. O'Reilly, meanwhile, was forced to withdraw from the starting XI ahead of Saturday’s win over Coventry due to a back problem, a late disruption that now threatens to spill into Europe.

Perfect league start, bigger stage looming

City arrive in Europe with momentum. Three games, three wins, and a perfect start to their Premier League title defence. The rhythm is there, the results are there. The question now is who will be fit enough to help carry that form onto the Champions League stage.

All eyes on Maresca

Maresca is expected to shed more light on Doku and O'Reilly’s situations in his pre-match press conference. Until then, City’s plans for Porto come with an asterisk — and the possibility that two attacking options may have to watch the European curtain-raiser from the sidelines.