Silva suffering from fatigue

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has admitted that star playmaker David Silva is suffering from fatigue, which in turn has led to a drop in performances.

The Spain international is widely recognised as one of the most creative players in the Premier League, and was one of the Etihad Stadium club’s star men in the first half of the season.

However, a dip in form has seen Silva’s impact neutralised in recent times, with Mancini blaming the high number of fixtures for the attacking midfielder’s current predicament.

“I don’t know how many games David has played for us in the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, Carling Cup, FA Cup plus internationals,” the Italian coach told Mirror Football.

“But it’s normal that a player can arrive at a moment when he can’t play 100 per cent.

“David always plays here [indicates high level with hand] and now maybe he is here [drops hand lower to chest].

“This is normal, but I hope he can recover,” he concluded.

City are currently five points behind Manchester United in the title race, and take on Arsenal this weekend.