David Silva has made 23 appearances for Manchester City this season
David Silva says his recent absences from Manchester City's side are because of the premature birth of his son.
The City midfielder missed the victory over Newcastle and draw at Crystal Palace, which saw the club's record-breaking 18-match winning streak come to an end.
Pep Guardiola had explained Silva had not been part of his selection because of personal reasons prior to the player's return in the 3-1 win over Watford on Tuesday.
Silva has now released information about his time away publicly, while also thanking Guardiola, his team-mates and those at Manchester City for their understanding of his situation.
"I want to share with you the birth of my son Mateo, who was born extremely preterm and is fighting day by day with the help of the medical team," Silva posted on Twitter.
Manchester City host Burnley in the FA Cup on Saturday before the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Sky Bet Championship side Bristol City on Tuesday, live on Sportso Football.