Samir Nasri could miss five months after injury setback in training
Saturday 21 November 2015 10:08, UK
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini fears Samir Nasri could be out for up to five months.
The French midfielder, who has missed City's last six games with a hamstring injury, revealed this week via Twitter that he could be out for another three months.
Now Pellegrini has shed further light on the 28-year-old's health, revealing that he faces a tendon operation after suffering a setback on the training ground, and the lay-off could be longer than originally feared.
Pellegrini said: "We don't have Samir Nasri for four or five months. He has a tendon injury in his right leg so now he must have surgery because it's an important (serious) injury."
There was better news for City regarding the health of David Silva and captain Vincent Kompany with Pellegrini optimistic both can return to action in the next week.
Spanish playmaker Silva has been side-lined since October with an ankle sustained on international duty.
Pellegrini has claimed on a number of occasions during his lay-off that he is close to a comeback, but he is still frustratingly short of fitness and will miss Saturday's crunch game against Liverpool.
"It's a long injury because it's not a muscle injury. It's an ankle and for different reasons he can't be 100 per cent fit," Pellegrini said.
"If a player is not comfortable I think that he can't play. I hope it's the same as with Vincent, that next week he can be okay."
Influential defender Kompany is out with a calf injury but Pellegrini believes the Belgian is close to regaining full fitness.
Pellegrini said: "The calf is such a difficult muscle you never know how much (time) he needs but I hope that by next week he will be okay."
The good news for City this weekend is the return of leading striker Sergio Aguero, who has recovered from the hamstring injury that has kept him out for seven games since scoring five against Newcastle in October.
With Wilfried Bony out with a hamstring injury, Pellegrini cannot afford to ease the Argentinian back into action against Liverpool but he will be watching the striker closely during the game.
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Pellegrini said: "It will be difficult because he has gone so many days without playing and I don't think he is ready to play 90 minutes or to play two or three games in a week. It is important for Sergio to evaluate during the game how many minutes he feels he can play.
"But he must start in this game because we don't have Bony and it is important for the team to have Sergio."
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