David Silva is out of Manchester City’s title showdown with Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday.
City’s captain suffered a muscular injury in the first-half of Saturday’s 2-1 win over Southampton and has been ruled out of the potential title race-defining trip to Anfield.
The loss of Silva, 33, is a major blow to City and boss Pep Guardiola, for whom the cultured playmaker is such an influential player.
Silva - in his last season with City - will also miss Wednesday’s Champions League tie away to Atalanta, but it is the loss of him for the Liverpool clash that will hurt the champions most.
Asked if Silva will be fit to face Liverpool, Guardiola said: “I don’t think so.
“I didn’t speak with the doctor, but when he has a muscular problem and cannot play more minutes, it’s because he has something.
“When it’s a muscular problem, it’s always a minimum of 10 to 12 days.
“Five minutes before the first-half ended, he told me he had a muscular problem.”
Kyle Walker set up the equaliser and scored City’s 86th-minute winner to ensure Guardiola’s side did not fall further behind Jurgen Klopp’s men ahead of their meeting.
“We had most of the ball possession and caused their keeper lots of problems,” said Walker.
“The key was our patience and persistence, also being positive. Luckily, I was there at the right time.
“There are still so many games to play in the Premier League.
“Obviously, a lot of people talk about the title race, but anything can happen in football.”
