If reports are to be believed, Manchester City ace midfielder David Silva could miss second leg of Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid next week. Silva has been under suspect since he left the field during Tuesday’s 0-0 draw first leg game just before the half-time and manager had then expected him to come back before the return leg showdown, but latest medical scans confirmed he can only return to the field by next Wednesday. This is actually a big blow for English side since 30-year-old has been in good form these days and fans were hoping he would contribute significantly to their Champions league title hope. Although Kelechi Iheanacho, who replaced Silva, is also a good player at the center but Pellegrini had great expectations from the Spain international and in his absence he would have to change the strategy for return home leg. Talking about the state of injury of Spanish international, Pellegrini said, “David had a slight strain in his thigh. It is difficult to say now. It is probably tough for him to recover in just one week. We’ll have a clearer idea tomorrow.”
Further recalling the first leg game that ended in a 0-0 score on the card Chilean said, “We played a very intense game and defended well. We tried to create until David Silva got injured then we lost the ball too much. If you cannot win then a 0-0 draw is good. This season we have played very well away. Now we go to the Bernabeu with the same attitude as playing at home. Real Madrid must attack a little bit more. You cannot take too much from the first leg, we can see from the second leg who will go through.”
While on the other side, if we look at the galaxy of players City is having into its den, there are several quality players who can easily fill the space created by Silva, yet, it is a psychological setback for team morale especially to manager Pellegrini who has been keeping him on the prime spot in his final squad for the Championship league semifinal. In any way, City would have to use all weapons to overcome Spanish giant in order to qualify for the final after losing domestic premier league on all fronts. Let’s see how Pellegrini recoups the loss with another promising player and if his gamble pays off.