Pep Guardiola Hopes Bernardo Silva Will Return from Injury 'In the Next Week'

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said he is hopeful of having Bernardo Silva available again soon after the midfielder missed Tuesday's clash in the UEFA Champions League with Tottenham Hotspur. 

City were below their best on the night and were defeated 1-0 after Heung-Min Son's second-half strike. In the first half, Sergio Aguero saw a penalty saved by Hugo Lloris following the video assistant referee's controversial award of a penalty after the ball struck Danny Rose's arm in the area. 

Without Bernardo, who was injured in training before the game, City were not at their most fluid in attack, only generating two shots on target despite earning a 59 per cent share of possession. Guardiola said he's hopeful the Portuguese will return in time for Wednesday's second leg, per Joe Wright of Goal.

"In the season there are injuries, there are problems, and I hope Bernardo will be fit in the next week," the City boss said after the game. According to Stuart Brennan of the Manchester Evening News, the decision to leave out Bernardo was a precautionary one:

This is the goal that separates the two teams following an even first-leg quarter-final encounter in north London (U.S. only):

City had an excellent chance to take the lead and score a vital away goal in the first period, only for Aguero to see his tame penalty stopped by Lloris (U.S. only):

Having been on the periphery of the team for long spells of his debut season at City, Bernardo has been crucial for Guardiola's side in 2018-19.

Whether it's from the right flank or in a central berth, the Portugal international has provided a vibrant creative presence. 

Without him, City didn't knit together their attacks as well as usual. Guardiola also left Kevin De Bruyne on the bench, a choice he explained prior to the game:

As FootballJOE noted, even with one of his key players absent, the City boss still had a wealth of attacking talent to choose from:

What would have frustrated City fans is Guardiola's reluctance to bring on some star men in the second period. De Bruyne and Leroy Sane didn't enter the game until the 88th minute, 10 minutes on from Son's opening goal for Tottenham.

Guardiola will not want to rush Bernardo back into the side if he isn't completely fit, but he will be keen to include him in what is a crucial spell in City's season. On Sunday, they can go back to the top of the Premier League with a win over Crystal Palace, before title rivals Liverpool face Chelsea later in the day.