Initially, there were no apparent signs of injury, but Guardiola revealed in his post-match press conference that Silva will now be out of action for a while. This season, the midfielder has already missed two games due to injury, including the Super Cup triumph against Sevilla and a Premier League victory over Newcastle United at home.
Silva has started three of the last four City games and both of Portugal's Euro 2024 qualifiers last week. His absence may provide opportunities for players like Doku, Phil Foden, and Matheus Nunes to gain some playing time, but City's injury list is growing.
Guardiola was already dealing with the absences of John Stones, Jack Grealish, Mateo Kovacic, and the long-term absentee Kevin De Bruyne, and now Silva joins that list. This news comes in the same week that Silva signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2026, putting an end to the speculation linking him with a move away from Man City during the summer.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the new deal includes a £50m release clause, but it won't become active until next summer. Barcelona was among the clubs heavily rumored to be interested in the 29-year-old, but their financial difficulties make such a transfer fee appear unrealistic. The La Liga champions had already secured Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer from City, and for a while, it seemed Silva might follow suit after achieving all major honors at the club.
Another elite club believed to be keen on signing Silva during the busy summer transfer window was Paris Saint-Germain. Silva had previously enjoyed success in France, winning the Ligue 1 title with Monaco before moving to Manchester, but a return never materialized.
