Barnabás Varga could start for AEK Athens against Manchester City after injury return

Source reporting: 20 October 2026. Added to ScoreTransfer on the publication date shown above.

AEK Athens are preparing to face Manchester City in the third round of the Champions League group stage. The English club will host the Greek side at home for this fixture.

Hungarian forward Barnabás Varga is expected to be available for selection. Ketsetzoglou stated that Varga is fully healthy and ready for head coach Marko Nikolics.

Nikolics is considering multiple lineup options before the match against Manchester City, according to Sport FM. If the coach chooses a two-striker system, there is a high chance Varga will start in the lineup.

Varga sustained a hamstring injury on September 17. He scored two goals for the Hungarian national team against Panserraikos in the Greek Cup before being substituted in the 59th minute.

The injury caused him to miss four matches for the Hungarian national team in the Nations League during September and October. These games were played under manager Marco Rossi.

Varga made his return on October 14 in a Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk. He entered the game in the 79th minute and played for over ten minutes in a 3-1 loss.

At AEK Athens, all players except goalkeeper Tomasz Strakosha are available for selection for the upcoming match.