Fernandez ready to face Coventry, Haaland among coach Maresca’s new City captains
- Last updated: September 5, 2026 | 10:45
Manchester City’s new record signing Enzo Fernandez is ready to start when the English Premier League (EPL) leaders host Coventry City this weekend while Erling Haaland is among four players named as captains, manager Enzo Maresca said on Friday.
Last season’s top scorer Haaland, Ruben Dias, Marc Guehi and Gianluigi Donnarumma have been named the four captains for City following the close-season departure of Bernardo Silva, who was the club’s skipper last season.
Fernandez played under Maresca at Chelsea and joined City for a reported British record-equalling fee of £125 million ($168.70 million) and the Italian manager said he is available for selection when they play promoted Coventry on Saturday.
“Enzo is ready, yes. I know Enzo quite well and I know what he can bring to the team,” Maresca told reporters.
“He is a winner, with a winner’s mentality and knows how to win. The World Cup, Club World Cup... the main thing is he’s a winner.
“When you belong to a squad and another winner arrives, they are always happy. I can promise you that in the last five days, four or five players came to ask, ‘Is he coming or not?’ It’s very important he’s with us.”
Signing Fernandez and Iliman Ndiaye on transfer deadline day took City’s close-season rebuild to more than £450 million and Maresca was “very, very happy” with the efforts of City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak and director of football Hugo Viana.
“In the last days, Iliman and Enzo arrived, and now the squad is complete, it’s finished. Now it’s time to work,” he added.
“He (Ndiaye) is so good. In the last two days, you can see already how good he is in terms of one-v-one, the last third, inside the box. I’m very happy to have him with us.”
Maresca also said Matheus Nunes is back in the squad but Jeremy Doku remains sidelined with injury.
Arsenal brace for Chelsea test as Spurs seek spark: Something has to give when Arsenal host Chelsea in the Premier League this weekend, with both teams putting their 100 percent records on the line, while Tottenham are desperate to stop the rot.
Defending champions Arsenal and Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea are among four sides to have won their first two league games this season, along with City and newly-promoted Hull.
Spurs are bottom of the table as they prepare to face Nottingham Forest while new Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola is still seeking his first win.
Arsenal steel vs Chelsea flair: Arsenal have started their Premier League title defence as they finished last season -- looking impenetrable.
Last week’s 1-0 win at Aston Villa, following their opening 3-0 victory over Coventry, was a sixth clean sheet in seven league matches.
Another bonus for manager Mikel Arteta is the form of England winger Bukayo Saka, who has scored twice already following an injury-disrupted 2025/26 campaign.
Chelsea have launched the Xabi Alonso era with three wins in all competitions, looking dangerous in attack but vulnerable at the back.
Agencies