David Silva doubtful for Manchester City's clash with Manchester United but Sergio Aguero 'ready'

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says Spanish playmaker David Silva is a "major doubt" to face Manchester United on Thursday evening (27 April), but revealed in-form Sergio Aguero is ready to face Jose Mourinho's men at the Etihad Stadium.

Silva and Aguero both picked up knocks during City's FA Cup semi-final loss to Arsenal on Sunday, but Guardiola is confident the Argentine, who has scored in each of his last six matches, will be fit to face United in a game that could help decide the race for Champions League spots.

The former Barcelona manager was less positive about Silva, who was withdrawn from the clash against the Gunners early on, and still harbours concerns over the condition of fit-again forward Gabriel Jesus.

"David Silva is a real, real doubt – I don't know if he will be ready to play after what happened in the first minutes in the semi-final," Guardiola said in his press conference. "Gabriel has no pain at all so is ready but [after] three months out his physical condition is not optimal. Sergio is much better. Today he make a part of the training session. Tomorrow he will be ready."

Guardiola later turned his attention from his injury concerns to Manchester United's. The Red Devils will go to the Etihad without the mercurial Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who suffered ligament damage in his side's Europa League tie against Anderlecht, but the Manchester City boss is aware that Mourinho has many attacking weapons in his arsenal.

"Of course Manchester United have been playing the last games without him but they achieve to play the way Jose Mourinho wants they win a lot of duels between the players," Guardiola added. "Ibrahimovic is a great player but they also have lots of good players like [Jesse] Lingard, [Ashley] Young and [Marcus] Rashford and they find spaces between the lines."