David Silva's Return Can Be the Spark Manchester City Need After Testing Week

After a difficult week that has seen them lose two matches in succession, with their winless run now standing at three games, Manchester City will welcome back David Silva for this weekend’s home fixture with Southampton.

The Spaniard has missed City’s last nine games, but in his Friday afternoon press conference, manager Manuel Pellegrini confirmed Silva’s ankle injury is now behind him.

Wilfried Bony, the striker who damaged his hamstring in the match with Aston Villa prior to the international break, will also return.

VI-Images/Getty Images

“David Silva and Wilfried Bony, both of them are in the squad list,” the Chilean told reporters.

“It is very important. David is a very important player, the same as Kun, one of the players that is very difficult to replace," Pellegrini explained. "But as I said one of the merits of the squad was to play so many games without so many important players and continue being at the top of the table. I hope both of them can recover, not only to be fit, but recover his great performance in the way they start playing minutes.”

"

Part one of Manuel's #cityvsaints press conference is now showing on CityTV. Watch: https://t.co/tVNRrOnZRa #MCFC pic.twitter.com/zM6hxEnPSB

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) November 27, 2015"

City’s squad is depleted, with Vincent Kompany, Eliaquim Mangala, Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta and Samir Nasri all missing for the weekend, but the return of Silva, perhaps the club’s greatest player ever, will be a significant fillip for Pellegrini and his team.

The signing of Kevin De Bruyne has brought added guile to the Blues squad, but Silva remains their most important attacking player. They’ve missed his ability to dictate the tempo of the game and create chances for his team-mate almost at will.

His form before the ankle injury, sustained while on international duty with Spain last month, was superb—perhaps his best since arriving in England.

He remains criminally underrated outside of City circles, though. Since arriving in Manchester in 2010, he’s made the PFA Team of the Year just once, a scandal given his consistent brilliance.

"

PELLEGRINI: "@21lva gives us a different way of playing. He's the player with the most accurate passes in the final third.” #MCFC

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) November 27, 2015"

This next few weeks feel like a key period for City. Two defeats in succession is big news when you have the squad quality they have. A reaction is needed. Southampton’s Premier League visit is followed quickly by the League Cup quarter-final tie with Hull City on Tuesday, and City need to win both. 

But this is usually the time they begin to find their best form. In Pellegrini’s two other seasons in charge at the Etihad Stadium, City have gone on extended runs at this stage of the campaign.

In 2013/14, they won 11 of the 12 games between the November international break and New Year’s Day. They moved from fifth to second, reducing Arsenal’s lead at the top by five points, playing some wonderful football in the process. 

Last season, they won 10 of their 11 games in the same period, and were level on points with Chelsea at the top of the table, having secured Champions League wins over Bayern Munich and Roma.

They need a similar return over the next month.

Silva's return from injury increases the likelihood it will happen. Few players in English football can match his quality. 

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @RobPollard_.