Maresca hopes Nico Aurelli will get some rest during the break.

Manchester City, nicknamed "The Blue Moon," will travel to Nottingham Forest for their 10th Premier League match of the 2026/27 season. Maresca stated that he hopes Nico O'Reilly can recover his form during the international break and believes the defender will definitely receive a call-up to the national team in the future.

In the last league match, Manchester City conceded a goal in the first half but were unable to change the score in the second half, ultimately losing 0-1 to Brighton. After suffering two consecutive defeats, Manchester City are currently second in the standings with 21 points, three points behind league leaders Arsenal.

After this round of league matches concludes, a new international break will begin, but Manchester City defender Nico O'Reilly has not been called up to the England national team.

Manchester City manager Maresca said, "Nico Aurelius's situation is actually quite easy to explain. He has had back problems since the start of the new season. If you recall, his injury had become more complicated before the game against Coventry."

“He is not yet 100% back, but I really liked his performance in the last game. I thought he played exceptionally well, which is exactly what we hope to see from Nico Aurelli.”

Maresca said, "All we need to do now is make sure he stays fit, because we know how good he is. I have no doubt that he will be called up to the England national team again in the future. What he needs to do most now is to use this break to receive proper treatment and rehabilitation, and strive to return at 100% fitness after the international break."

Besides Nico O'Reilly, another Manchester City player not called up by Tuchel was Foden. However, Maresca said, "Frankly, Foden is performing very well right now. As for why he wasn't selected for the England national team, I don't know the specific reason, but we are satisfied with Foden's performance."

“We know he can contribute even more to the team, we are very clear about that. It is my responsibility as head coach to help him gradually regain his best form and become one of the best players in the world again.”

In addition, in the earlier Champions League match, Manchester City defeated RB Leipzig 3-2 after an own goal by an opposing player, as well as goals from Enzo and Haaland.

Maresca also stated, "From the moment we started working together, I could see the characteristics of this team. Every day when I train and work with the players, I can see the team continuing to improve in many ways."

“We know very well what we’ve done well, and we also know what areas need improvement; it’s just a matter of time.”

Image source: Internet