Playmaker: Spaniard Silva has been in fine form for
Manchester City over the past few weeks of the season
Wednesday, January 5
2010
Arsenal
v
Manchester
City
3:45am (Thur Morning)
Mio Channel 102 /
110
Manchester City
will be without David Silva and Mario
Balotelli for Wednesday's crucial Premier League encounter
at Arsenal.
The pair have both been struck down by knee injuries, with
Silva possibly out for two weeks.
'It is a big problem,' said manager Roberto Mancini.
'Neither of them will be available.'
Silva in particular will be a huge loss at the Emirates
given his growing influence on the Blues in recent
weeks.
'David has been an important player for us and has been
doing well recently,' said Mancini. Hopefully, he will be back for
the Wolves game on January 15.
'Mario might be back for the FA Cup tie at Leicester on
Sunday.'
Meanwhile, Mancini claimed that his side are still
outsiders in what he accepts is now a five-team pursuit of the
title.
City are joint top with neighbours Manchester United,
although they have played two games more.
Big loss: City will miss Balotelli up front when
they take on Arsenal in north London on Wednesday night
And Mancini, who has previously claimed that
Chelsea would stroll to the championship, feels that City's
inexperience in such situations could count against
them.
'Arsenal, Chelsea, United and Tottenham all have more
experience than us,' he said.
'Probably one of those four teams will win the title. We
just want to work, so we can improve and try to keep getting
better.'