Pellegrini expects a fully-fit Silva by end of season

REUTERS – Manchester City playmaker David Silva is not fully fit but the 30-year-old is improving fast and should be at his best by the end of the season, manager Manuel Pellegrini has said.

Silva had a six-week lay-off with an ankle problem prior to the minor knock he picked up in the League Cup semi-final first leg 2-1 loss to Everton on January 6.

Limited to just 13 Premier League starts this campaign, Silva has scored two goals and registered eight assists and his manager expects him to get better.

“David has had different injuries during the season… But now he is feeling better so I hope he will finish the season in his best performance,” Pellegrini told British media.

“It was not only the ankle. He started with that and one or two weeks before the game (first leg) against Everton he had a muscle injury that disturbed him a lot.

“Every day he is improving. Maybe he’s not 100 per cent but I hope that he will return soon to be absolutely fit.”

With Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling managing five goals between them in City’s last 12 matches, Pellegrini has called on his “best” players to step up their game.

“It’s very important that you have all your best players in the same moment in their top performance. They decide games,” the former Real Madrid manager said.

“I hope that all of them will return to their normal performance at the same moment.”

City host Everton in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)