Silva to miss Champions League semi against Real

London, April 29

Manchester City will be without playmaker David Silva for two to three weeks, ensuring he will definitely miss Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg tie at Real Madrid, manager Manuel Pellegrini said on Friday. Pellegrini expressed his hope that the Spanish international might be fit should City reach the final in Milan on May 28.

The bad news for City came as Pellegrini reiterated his annoyance that having to play a key Premier League match on Sunday against Southampton might affect their European final  ambitions. Silva limped out of the first leg tie at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, with Pellegrini revealing: "He has a small hamstring injury and he'll need two or three weeks to recover." Asked when he might be back, he added: "He'll be able to play the final." Yaya Toure remains another injury concern for Pellegrini following a muscle injury. "Yaya started working today, we saw the way he improved during the weekend and we'll see if he can be fit for Wednesday. At the moment we don't know." 

Pellegrini said he could not understand why, amid such a crowded schedule and with City still pushing for the top four finish that would guarantee Champions League football next season, they had not been given the chance by the Premier League to play on Saturday. — Reuters