Marisca: This is the state of the team, and Cherki can become one of the leaders

Enzo Maresca, Manchester City's head coach, appeared at a press conference to discuss the upcoming match against Brighton, scheduled for Saturday evening, as part of the ninth round of the Premier League, at the Etihad Stadium.

The coach spoke about the team's condition ahead of the match, saying: "All players are available, except for Antoine Semenyo. The rest of the players are ready."

Several Manchester City players, including Erling Haaland, Elliot Anderson, Rúben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and Gianluigi Donnarumma, missed the squad for the match against Brighton on Wednesday in the League Cup.

Regarding Antoine Semenyo's condition and his return date, Manchester City manager said: "He is in good shape and high spirits, and he is at the club's facilities undergoing recovery sessions and receiving all the treatments he needs, but it is still too early to talk about his return date at this time."

Regarding Brighton being considered a contender for one of the UEFA Champions League qualifying spots next season, Mariska said: "I think it is still early for all clubs, but they are certainly performing very well. They are a team that scores a lot of goals in every match, three, four, or five goals, and they create many chances against any opponent. It will be a tough match, but I don't know where they can finish the season."

He added: "They are performing very well both with and without the ball. They play with strong pressure and focus on individual marking in all matches. They also excel at attacking with a large number of players, whether full-backs, wingers, or attacking midfielders, so it will be a tough encounter."

Regarding the possibility of Rayan Cherki becoming one of Manchester City's leaders in the future, he said: "Yes, that is possible. But I think it is important for all players to take responsibility and show their leadership qualities, and what Rayan is providing in this aspect is certainly good."

He concluded regarding the participation of Cherki and Foden together: "This is extremely important for us, as it gives us an additional weapon. They can definitely play together, and it depends a bit on the nature of the match, but there is no doubt that they are both fantastic players."