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David Silva is OUT of Sunday's Manchester derby with a knee injury and fears he could be facing three weeks on the sideline.

Silva has had a scan on his knee, which has revealed the Manchester City playmaker has suffered ligament damage that will force him to miss the Etihad clash with neighbours United.

The Spanish star had the scan at the private Alexandra Hospital in Cheadle, near Manchester, and champions City are assessing the results to determine how long he will be sidelined.

Silva, who was injured when he was fouled by Newcastle's Ryan Taylor, is also set to miss City's must-win Champions League clash at home to CSKA Moscow on Wednesday.

Silva's loss is a big blow to the Blues at a pivotal point of their campaign. He has started all but one of their games this season.

Manuel Pellegrini is under pressure going into the showdown with Manchester United and Joe Hart has defended him, claiming the players are to blame for City's slump.

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"We know where we are as a unit," said the England No 1. "We just need a few players, myself included, to step up and we'll be fine. We're big enough and ugly enough to know that this is football. We're prepared to fight through it and put it right."

Hart backed Pellegrini to turn City around without needing to resort to chucking teacups around the dressing room.

"It's a good thing to have a constant," he said. "We know what kind of a guy he is and what he expects from us. He's someone who doesn't have to smash the room up to show you they're disappointed.

"He's got his standards that we try to live up to, and if we don't were just as disappointed as he is. He knows his methods and we've proved in the past playing his way works."