Manchester City’s David Silva will miss Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg at Real Madrid after it was confirmed that he faces two to three weeks out with a hamstring injury.
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Manchester City had no answer to Southampton on Sunday as Sadio Mane scored a hat-trick in a convincing 4-2 win at St Mary’s.
“So I think it’s better for English football, because if you don’t continue in the Champions League, and I’m not talking just about Manchester City, maybe we are going to lose a spot for the next Champions League”.
The Chilean said: “In the Premier League, I don’t understand why, when having so many games, and they all have the same interest, we can’t play one day before to have 24 hours (more rest), at least having the same as Real Madrid”.
Tadic grabbed his second assist of the game three minutes later as the hosts doubled their lead, the Serbian fed the ball through the City backline for the fast moving Mane who with conviction converted his third goal in as many games.
“I always say the best way to prepare for the next game is to win and that’s why we did so well before Paris St Germain”.
“I like to be straight with everybody: other players were more deserving of being part of the 18 today”.
Pellegrini said Yaya Touré is “working with normality” as he attempts to return from a thigh injury for the Real game.
Southampton come into the fixture after registering a 4-2 victory over Aston Villa, who have been relegated from the Premier League.
The defeat, just three days before its semifinal second leg against Real Madrid, was never in doubt from the moment Shane Long capitalized on a Dusan Tadic assist in the 25th-minute.
Kelechi Iheanacho scored both the goals for top-four-chasing City at St. Mary’s Stadium.
Long had already twice exposed the City backline before the home side went ahead, first when he allowed Otamendi to make a covering tackle and then again when he fired into the side-netting after getting behind Mangala.
But they were told any official request would have ended in failure, leaving them with considerably less time to recover than Madrid, who play on Saturday afternoon.
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“They’ve left the door open to Manchester United and, with games against Arsenal and Swansea, they are not certainties to qualify for the Champions League next year, which is massive with Pep Guardiola waiting in the wings”. “We look forward to the Spurs game now”.
