Ilkay Gundogan is likely to miss several months of Manchester City’s season after enduring a serious knee injury in the 2-0 win over Watford.

The 26-year-old suffered suspected cruciate ligament damage when he collided with Nordin Amrabat towards the end of the first half. Gundogan tried to continue but was then forced off. His manager, Pep Guardiola, said that it was likely he had suffered knee ligament damage, which would keep him out for ‘a long, long time’. He will have a scan on Thursday to assess the full extent of the injury.

It was the same knee that Gundogan had dislocated while at Borussia Dortmund in March that cost the German international a place in the European Championship. It was operated on in May ensuring he arrived injured after his £20m transfer from Dortmund. He did not make his debut for his new employers until the 4-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach in September.

“I am so, so sad for Gundogan,” said Guardiola. “This is the worst news.” Asked if it looked like ligament damage, he replied: “The doctor supposes yes and we will know more tomorrow. But it is not good. It could be several months.

“At first it did not look too bad after the collision. He tried to carry on but he clammed up and said: ‘I cannot carry on’.” This is the third serious injury Gundogan has suffered in three years. He missed the whole of the 2013-14 season at Dortmund with a back injury.

Guardiola admitted that this had not been a classic win over a limited but very determined Watford side. “I think the players are going to be more confident,” he said when reminded that this was Manchester City’s first home win in the Premier League since September 17 when Bournemouth had been beaten 4-0. “We needed to win for the mentality of the players.”

It was also City’s first clean sheet since a 4-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on October 29 and was achieved after Guardiola dropped the club’s £50m defender, John Stones.

Pep Guardiola looks on from the sidelines during at the Etihad Stadium (Getty)

Pablo Zabaleta, who scored the decisive opening goal – his first for Manchester City in more than two years – said: “It has been a long time without winning at home, it has been strange. It was not the prettiest game but we had the determination to win. We had the clean sheet we’ve been talking about and we were solid defensively. We were really good at the back and took our chances. We deserved to win.