A growing concern for Manchester City has been the recent form of Spanish playmaker David Silva, after another mostly ineffectual turn in City's dispiriting 0-0 draw with Norwich City in the Premier League on Saturday.
Against Norwich, only Sergio Aguero posed a genuine goal threat, with Wilfried Bony, Jesus Navas and Silva all unable to to make significant attacking contributions.
Silva, 30, has been a creative force for City in the last few seasons. He was responsible for 12 goals and seven assists last campaign, making 32 league starts, and he had seven goals and nine assists in 27 Premier League appearances the season before. But he has rarely met his own exacting standards in the current campaign, with just two goals in the league in 21 appearances, two as a substitute.
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“He is playing with some problem in his ankle, but not a problem that does not allow him to play,” Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini said.
“He is not 100 per cent comfortable, but I think today he tried in different ways. I think that Aguero also tried. All of our players tried, but we just couldn’t do it.”
Pellegrini added: “We are always talking with David and the doctor. He wants to play. I don’t think it is just the problem of David that we don’t create the space today.
“We have wingers who must win the one-on-ones and we have the forwards that must try to create more space. When you cannot win, it is the problem of the team and not one person.”
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