Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini admits they enter the Christmas programme suffering an injury crisis.

City could face Christmas without any senior strikers and their captain following a costly 1-0 victory at Leicester.

Forward Edin Dzeko suffered a calf injury in the warm-up at the King Power Stadium and skipper Vincent Kompany suffered a recurrence of a hamstring problem 77 minutes into his comeback.

Dzeko joins fellow strikers Sergio Aguero and Stevan Jovetic on the sidelines and there is little chance of any of them being fit in the next fortnight.

Kompany might also be out of action until the new year.

Pellegrini said: "It is difficult immediately after the game to know what happened to both of them.

"Vincent Kompany has the same problem in his hamstring he had a few weeks ago, that is one of the reasons he didn't play on Wednesday in Rome.

"Edin Dzeko felt a muscle injury in his calf. Maybe he will also be a couple of weeks out. I think it is impossible (for him to return) before the new year.

"We will see with Vincent how hard his injury is but I think it will be very difficult for them to play before the next year."