Manchester City look set to be without Bernardo Silva for the next few games as a huge showdown with Arsenal approaches on the horizon.
The Portuguese playmaker, who signed a bumper new contract until 2026 over the summer, was forced off before half-time during Tuesday’s 3-1 Champions League comeback win over Red Star Belgrade in Group G.
It was not immediately clear at the time if Silva had suffered an injury, but the 29-year-old looked visibly disappointed as he trudged off to be replaced by summer signing Jeremy Doku, with holders City responding to Osman Bukari’s shock opening goal for the Serbian giants with a second-half Julian Alvarez brace and Rodri’s stylish strike to begin their title defence with a dominant home victory.
City boss Pep Guardiola confirmed after Tuesday’s European opener at the Etihad Stadium that he believed Silva would miss the “next games” with his unspecified knock, with last season’s Treble winners due to host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
They then travel to Newcastle in the third round of the Carabao Cup before trips to Wolves and RB Leipzig are followed by a key top-flight clash with title rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on October 8, which comes before the second international break of the campaign.
“He [Silva] didn’t say anything at the end,” Guardiola told reporters. “I didn’t speak with the doctors but apparently for the next games he won’t be able to play.”
City’s ominous 100 per cent start to the new season that has seen them win all six games across all competitions has not been without key setbacks on the injury front, with Kevin De Bruyne likely to miss the rest of the calendar year with a serious hamstring issue that required surgery.
Guardiola has also been without England defender John Stones since the Community Shield loss to Arsenal at Wembley in August, while midfield pair Jack Grealish and Mateo Kovacic have also been sidelined of late.
Commenting on that lengthening injury list of important players, the manager added: “When we have five important players - really, really important players - injured, to sustain that for a long time will be difficult. But it is what it is.
“We cannot have the salaries and budgets for transfers to have 55 players. It would be chaos for the clubs and they would be bankrupt. Sometimes it happens.”
