Manchester City Faces FC Porto in UEFA Champions League Without Doku and O'Reilly

Manchester City will launch their UEFA Champions League campaign at the Estádio do Dragão tomorrow night without Jeremy Doku and Nico O'Reilly, stripping Enzo Maresca of two attacking options for a tie that already carried plenty of weight.

City have been handed a demanding league-phase draw, and the trip to face FC Porto feels like an early test of their credentials under European pressure. The sense of importance around the fixture only grew during an open training session earlier today.

Absences

Two absences stood out.

Doku and O'Reilly were nowhere to be seen as the squad went through their final preparations. Doku is still recovering from the calf injury he picked up against Arsenal in the FA Community Shield three weeks ago, an issue that has stalled his start to the season and removed one of City's most direct threats from the right.

O'Reilly, meanwhile, suffered a back injury in the warm-up before City's 1-0 win over Coventry City on Saturday. The problem ruled him out of that game and has now cost him a place on the plane to Portugal.

Any lingering hope of late involvement for either player disappeared when the travelling squad for Porto was confirmed. Neither Doku nor O'Reilly made the list.

Maresca must now piece together his attacking plan without them in one of Europe's most hostile arenas, with City looking to set the tone for a long Champions League campaign in the shadow of the Dragão.