David Silva: Out with Ankle Injury

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed that David Silva will not be risked for Saturday’s Premier League trip to Crystal Palace.

City’s opening Champions League group game of the season comes against Juventus on Tuesday and Pellegrini is clearly hoping that Silva makes a quick recovery.

He said: “He is out for tomorrow and maybe it is a risk for him to take another kick in the same place, so it is better for him to rest a couple of days”.

Kevin De Bruyne could start in the No. 10 role with Silva sidelined. On the Belgian, Pellegrini added: “I’m very happy to have signed Kevin because he is a very important player, with the characteristics we need in our squad, the same as Raheem Sterling”.

He remains without Marouane Chamakh and Frazier Campbell (both hamstring), although fellow striker Connor Wickham, midfielders Yohan Cabaye, Mile Jedinak, and Joe Ledley, as well as goalkeeper Julian Speroni could all come back into contention this weekend.

Leekens, who handed de Bruyne his first Belgium cap at the age of 19, insisted: “I think he can go to the highest level”.

Delph, a close-season signing from Aston Villa, is expected to be out for around six weeks, Pellegrini said, after he picked up a hamstring injury playing for England against Switzerland.

The Spanish playmaker has been outstanding so far this season to help City claim four wins from four in the Premier League. It means the team is doing things the way I want. “He’s in the squad list, we’ll see tomorrow whether he starts”, said the Chilean boss. If we were coming up against City and it was 20 players each then they’d definitely win. It’s important to continue the style of football.