Manchester City suffered a scare recently when midfielder David Silva was expected to have a lengthy absence after the Spaniard was fouled during their victory over West Ham last week.

The small but pacey player was accidently hit in the face by Cheikhou Kouyate’s right elbow and though City went on to win the match 2-0, Silva was taken to hospital with a suspected broken cheekbone. Fortunately the incident didn’t prove as serious as first thought and the club are lucky that at such a crucial point of the season that they will not be losing one of their best players.

Manuel Pellegrini's side have had a very changeable season, starting the campaign strongly, chasing league leaders Chelsea every step of the way, but they have been unable to maintain the pace they set for themselves since the turn of the year.

Key players like captain Vincent Kompany and Yaya Toure have underperformed, leading the team to once again crash out of the Champions League disappointingly early. All other possible trophies have also passed them by, the most notable being the domestic title which they are now unable to defend.

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As the current holders City were expected to put up a more determined fight, but recent results have caused them to slip further and further away from that goal.

The season hasn’t been a complete disaster, though. After all, they are expected to make the highly coveted Champions League places, but for a team with their wealth and ambitions it has definitely not been productive enough to call it a success.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini has been rumoured for some time to be getting the sack this summer following City’s decline with a whole host of top European managers mentioned as possible replacements.

City have also been criticised for having an ageing squad. Silva is 29, and the club is likely to try to reinvigorate the team by signing a few new players though they won’t be able to flash the cash like they did in the past due to Financial Fair Play rules.

An exceptional talent like Silva surely needs to be held onto as it is his vision in midfield that helps a player like Sergio Aguero be so lethal. City rely heavily on players like Aguero and Silva so with the Argentine not scoring as freely as before, City may have been in further trouble had the tricky Spaniard been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Silva has made four assists this season also finding the net himself on a remarkable 11 occasions, and since joining City in 2010, Silva has consistently proven that despite his slight frame he is able to adapt and flourish in the Premier League.

The playmaker has gone on to win the league twice with City but has not made it past the last 16 of the Champions League, regardless of the massive sums of money his club has spent on building the team.

Despite these failings Silva seems happy and doesn’t appear to be strongly linked with a move away from the Etihad like some of his team mates. Which is good news as City will need Silva to continue playing at his best next season if they want to push to claim the title or even just make the top four again.

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