Silva injury blow for City

DAVID Silva could miss Manchester City’s Barclays Premier League title run–in after being stretchered off in the second half of last night’s 3–1 win over West Bromwich Albion at the Etihad Stadium.

Silva suffered a recurrence of a recent ankle problem and City’s medical staff will spend today determining whether the Spaniard will be fit enough to play some part in his team’s last four games of the season.

Silva’s injury soured a businesslike 3–1 win over the relegation–threatened Baggies with two goals inside the first 10 minutes from Pablo Zabaleta and Sergio Aguero settling nerves before Martin Demichelis added a third after Graham Dorrans had briefly reduced the deficit.

The win maintained City’s title hopes as it moved them within six points of leaders Liverpool with a game in hand.

There was little chance of a repeat of last Wednesday’s frustrating 2–2 home draw with Sunderland after Zabaleta headed the opener when Baggies keeper Ben Foster palmed Aguero’s initial effort into his path.

Aguero hit a sweetly struck second and it looked like being a night of damage limitation for the Baggies, whose defeat leaves them precariously placed three points above the drop zone going into Saturday’s home clash with West Ham.

But a brilliant strike from Dorrans gave the visitors hope and they even thought they had drawn level when Matej Vydra bundled the ball home only to be ruled narrowly offside.

Demichelis knocked home a Samir Nasri corner to restore City’s two–goal cushion and in a much more low–key second period Foster had to be alert to deny both Dzeko and City substitute James Milner.