Manchester City's David Silva says he has missed recent matches because of the premature birth of his son.

In a statement the 31 year old said his son Mateo was "born extremely preterm and is fighting day by day".

The Spaniard, who returned for Tuesday night's 3-1 win over Watford, added: "I want to thank you for the love and good wishes received in the last few weeks, special thanks to my team-mates, the manager and all at the club for understanding my situation."

City boss Pep Guardiola said after the Watford game that Silva may need to take some more time off.