Doku and O'Reilly Missing from Manchester City Training Ahead of Porto Clash

Jeremy Doku and Nico O'Reilly were both missing from Manchester City’s training session on Monday, casting early doubt over their involvement in the Champions League trip to Porto.

The attacking pair sat out as City stepped up preparations for Tuesday night’s Group Stage clash in Portugal, an absence that will not go unnoticed given the intensity of the schedule and the expectations on Enzo Maresca’s side in Europe.

City have not yet confirmed whether either player will miss the game, but the timing is far from ideal. Doku has yet to feature in the Premier League this season, his campaign still waiting for a proper launch, while O'Reilly only just dropped out of the starting XI ahead of Saturday’s win over Coventry after a back problem flared up.

That late withdrawal underlined the fine margins of fitness management at this stage of the season. Now, with Porto looming, Maresca faces fresh questions over his options in the final third and how much rotation he can realistically afford.

Domestically, City look ominous. Three games, three wins, maximum points. The champions have opened their Premier League defence with a perfect record and a familiar authority, and they will expect to carry that rhythm into Europe, where standards are unforgiving and any slip can quickly reshape a group.

The uncertainty around Doku and O'Reilly adds a layer of intrigue to Maresca’s pre-match briefing. He is expected to deliver a clearer update when he faces the media ahead of the game, and his words will offer the first real indication of how much City’s plans for Porto might need to change.